All The Bad Blood (Season 1)
by Prisoner 7
Summary: When Hiram Lodge is arrested, Veronica and Hermione reunite with two members of the Lodge Family who decided to stay in Riverdale: Uncle Julian and Cousin Edward. With such great timing, both Edward and Veronica join the gang in Riverdale to finally solve the great mystery that was plaguing their town: Who killed Jason Blossom?
1. Prologue

_**The Prologue Before the Prologue**_

 **~August 28th, 1999 – Atlanta, Georgia~**

The sound of burning rubber, screeching tires and gunshots had become normal for those involved in the Lodge family. After another semi-successful heist, it was now all up to the getaway driver to get the crew out of danger and definitely out of police custody. The score from the plan was assumed to be ten million dollars, and that was what would have been considered a good score for Hiram 'Doc' Lodge's crew of bank robbers, more commonly known to the national news as the Boston Breakers. He had been sat in the passenger seat of the red Nissan Skyline, waiting for the three other members of his force to be running towards the car without having to worry about the cops following them. Yet, one member just had to be smart enough to shoot one of the guards as he ran. Instead of massive bags of cash and bonds, they were carrying the thinner looking protective bags, with something moving and rumbling about as they all slammed into the back of the car. They soon shot off, careening out of the parking bay and out into the city.

The younger man was in the driving seat and had pressed his foot down so hard that Doc was sure his foot would eventually break through the flooring of the car. This was his little brother, the two of them had thrown themselves into a life of crime to afford their mother's hospital bills, only for them to become addicted to the rush. They loved the adrenaline when they executed the perfect heist, the monetary gain from unleashing their devilish criminality upon wherever they struck.

From Riverdale, New York to Atlanta, Georgia. They had gone from wholesome town kids, happy to be hanging around the same street corners and forest spots every day since they were old enough to go out alone without one of their parents having to follow them around like a damned chaperone.

Now, they were speeding through downtown Atlanta. The red Skyline was roaring through mid-day traffic, weaving in and out of the lanes to avoid any approaching traffic as well as to keep the police off their tails.

Doc turned to his brother. "Can you get us out of this, Baby?" He said, turning to the young man in his letterman jacket.

"Depends if I can get us out of business district in less than five minutes. Just make sure the score doesn't get hit." Baby spoke, not bothering to turn so he could focus on the road.

The younger Lodge pulled on the handbrake, forcing a hard drift into the opposing lane to avoid the cops behind them. It had forced a Jeep Cherokee to spin out and crash two police cruisers into the side of the truck. Looking in the rear view mirror, Baby and Doc could see two more cruisers attempt the same, only to see one get tee-boned by oncoming traffic. The final Crown Victoria had slowed down enough to the point where the Lodge gang had began to speed out of the central business district. The cops had already began to cordon off the Central Bank & Trust, and since they had driven past the Skyline on the way, the officers on the scene must not have managed to get a visible make and model of their escape car. Baby pulled off another hard turn and began to zoom down the alleys to keep out of the police attention.

Doc soon turned to the three brutes in the back of the car, glaring at them. "Where's the cash then? Did you all come out empty?!" Doc shouted, soon brandishing an AutoMag heavy pistol at the trio.

The oldest one spoke first, Donny. "Doc, wait, Jesus! We got some dough, but the vault was locked, twice as tight than we planned. We got through but we took their paintings instead."

"Paintings..." Doc muttered. "No money, but you took their paintings? Are you kidding me?"

It was just at the height of Doc's fury that the youngest and least experienced of the robbers had began to speak. "Please, the paintings are priceless! We got thirteen paintings, and I think I know how much they might be worth! Two of them, they were Rembrandts! There's fifty million dollars here! This is enough for all of us, we can get out!" Lorenzo said, stuttering and stammering as he sputtered for the life of himself and his friends.

Doc glared, and then looked towards Baby. His young brother, he was innocent in all of this. He didn't deserve having to live this life, constantly running until they found a safe spot to stay while the police response died down. From then, it was on to the next state, the next big job. This job, the job that had just gained them fifty million dollars worth of high-society paintings from old artists from the good ol' days. If two of them were worth fifty million, how much were all thirteen put together?

Doc gave a small smile, letting the silence into the car amongst the screeching tires and the screaming sirens of the police, storming to the Central Bank as the very men they hunted drove right past them. Now driving through midday traffic in a regular manner, the younger Lodge sibling had managed to escape the towering skyscrapers of Atlanta. There was a small little bungalow which they had been renting out since they had arrived in Georgia was their little base. It was Doc and Baby' home away from home, even if they only had been living their for the month. The post-heist nerves had began to get to both Lodge siblings, as well as their three employees. After laying out the paintings, Doc and Baby' began to estimate the price of the paintings all put together. The two Rembrandts were fifty to seventy-five million dollars, and after anonymously contacting a local art curator, all the paintings came together to five hundred million dollars.

The two brothers were silent as they looked at the thirteen slim bags, inside them was five hundred million dollars worth of antique paintings. Five hundred million reasons to leave town, get rid of their accomplices legally and hock the paintings for what they could get and split it between them. It would have been two hundred and fifty million dollars for both of them, minus the costs of what the medical bills for their mother would be, it would be a drop in the bucket for them.

They would finally be happy. It was everything they wanted since they were kids, a good life.

It was when the youngest sibling of the two finally spoke since they had arrived. "No more 'Doc' and 'Baby'?" He had spoken, giving the older one a smile.

"That's right, no more 'Doc' and 'Baby', no more jobs like this. Just us, just family. We can go back to Riverdale, we can bring her home. Jules, it's just me, you and Mom!"

They had not spent so much time celebrating as they had done that day, knowing that their escapades on the other side of the tracks would all be over, they had finally achieved what they had set out to do. The two took a small walk to the nearest payphone, giving an 'anonymous' tip-off to the cops about who had just robbed the Central Bank. Ending the call, the two started shouting and screaming in celebration, they'd won! They had fought the law, and the law hadn't won, they won! Hiram and Julius Lodge had won!

It must have taken around two days for them to get a buyer for some of the paintings, of which they would deliver in good condition to make the mass profit they acquired seemingly legal in comparison to how they had actually acquired the paintings. As long as they had gotten rid of all thirteen sooner rather than later, back into circulation then they would be two hundred and fifty million dollars richer and much better for it. It was money that could have been used better, better than by people in their ivory towers who never had given a shit about him, never given a shit about anybody else but themselves. Before anybody would criticise them for robbing, it was going to a better cause than it would have been if it was just stuck in the vault in the Central Bank of Atlanta. It would take a while to readjust and if their mother ever had to ask or become suspicious about where the money had come from, all he would say is that they hit the jackpot in Vegas.

 _No, that seems too lucky, too out of the blue. It needs to be convincing, something fool-proof…_ Hiram had already began to think of the lie, the one lie he would have to tell to his mother.

Hiram sighed, but then the idea hit him.

 _Lodge Industries..._

 _ **-X-**_

 **~September 1st, 1999 – Brooklyn, New York~**

It had not taken the sibling duo many days to get back to their home town. The trio of criminals that had been associated with the robbery in Atlanta had been caught two days after they had left the state of Georgia and had began the drive through South Carolina and into North Carolina. The trip had been long, and while not exactly hardy, it was definitely arduous at the best of times due to the stress of being found out on the way. Being found with five hundred million dollars worth of stolen paintings definitely did add a lot of stress onto those who stole them, believe it or not.

They had stopped over at a small hostel for the night, just to keep themselves from cracking under the duress of making it into New York. The next day they would meet up with a contact of Hiram's who would make sure the paintings were delivered and paid for, and said contact had not cared for where they were obtained.

The mere fame and monetary value of the paintings were more than enough to have any rich rat come crawling out at the mere mention of them, of perhaps even getting their hands on one just so they could show it off to all of their other rich rat friends.

Jules had been sitting in a small chair, trying to catch some sleep before his older brother had kicked his legs from off the floor, startling Jules into tackling the older sibling to the floor. Before Hiram even had a chance to get a word in edgeways, Jules had raised his fist to cave in Hiram's perfectly sculpted nose and to possibly rag out his finely combed black hair. "What the hell are you doing, you asshole?" the younger brother cried, quickly climbing off of his sibling.

"I was making sure you were awake, _hermano._ We need to get rid of the Skyline, preferably sooner rather than later." Hiram replied, holding his hands up as he slowly picked himself up from the floor.

Jules had sighed before looking at his brother. Hiram could tell he was still tense, and it didn't help that he hadn't slept in a while. Jules had been too busy driving from state to state, making sure his brother as well as himself had reached New York in record time as they needed to be. Whoever Hiram had knew wanted the paintings, they were in Manhattan and they would pay full price to get a hold of them. He would have to get rid of the car at some point, even if it was his own car. It was necessary if they really were going to get off scot-free with the biggest heist they had ever done. The fact that they hadn't been caught on the way up to New York was more surprising, even more so considering they hadn't decided to change cars on the way, which was a massive risk which seemed to pay off. They had driven up-state quicker, gotten to the 'safety' of New York. They could still very easily be killed on the way to the deal, after the deal and on the way home.

Riverdale.

"Fine. I'll get rid of _my_ car. For _you,_ Hiram." Jules responded, soon putting on his jacket and leaving the hostel into the cold air.

As soon as he had moved the paintings into the hostel, four bags at a time, it had not taken long for Jules to get to the docks. It was already midnight, so getting through the empty streets provided the younger Lodge provided him with one last ride, one last dose of adrenaline in what he had deemed the perfect car. It was just a lot more difficult as soon as actually getting rid of the car came up, trying to push it into the icy waters was almost like trying to kill someone. He did not particularly want to get into another gunfight where he had to be one of the people firing a gun.

He'd rather be the one behind the driving wheel, listening to the music whilst easily evading the police cruisers. He might not have been one of the gunmen, or the brains like Hiram. It didn't mean he wasn't important, without him, they would be up Shit's Creek without a paddle.

He could soon feel the car tip over the edge, and as soon as he saw the cherry red body of the Skyline crash into the river, he was definitely the opposite of satisfied. That car was inseparable for him, it was custom-tuned, by others at first but soon enough it became his baby. The same car had gotten him set for life, and that was more than enough for him to want to pull it back out.

 _Too late now then…_

He soon picked up his phone, calling Hiram but soon getting the voicemail instead. The dull voice spoke, but Jules didn't bother to listen. "Hiram, it's Jay. Car's gone, I'll be back soon."

Jules stood on the dock, overlooking the river and looked at the Brooklyn Bridge, lit up right over the waters where the car was now slowly sinking to it's depths. The lights were bright enough for Jules to see the small highlights of the slowly fading paint, crumbling off of the steel and sticking to the stone, eventually being taken by the rough winds of autumn. Whilst New York was the Lodge's home-state, the city was not really a home for Jules. Hiram revelled in the city's delights, in seeing the sights and getting to know the people, the right people that was, intimately. It was how he had managed to find the buyers for the paintings. The city that never slept was a place where Hiram thrived, but it definitely was not the location for his younger brother. Jules was just one of the people behind the curtain, one of the people that did not want to be involved in the higher-ups. Jules knew, he knew before anyone that anyone that was not Hiram Lodge was expendable. It was a simple conclusion to make, just from one simple part of every planned heist they had ever done. His brother made sure his plans were meticulous, that there were never any loose ends afterwards.

So it was safe to assume that Jules was expendable too.

Jules could only do what he had been doing for the past five years, and that was focus on the money. The money kept him going, it was his deepest sin, that of pure greed. It was avarice in it's purest form, but the avarice was for those around him and not for him, unlike Hiram. All he wanted was to secure his family's health and well-being, and while he did not take pleasure in being the good guy who did bad things. His family might have been grand in the little town of Riverdale, but they were nothing in the grand scheme of things.

While his dad might have ruined them, he would fix them. While Hiram would leave them behind, Jules would stay. While his mother suffered, while Hiram was free, Jules would suffer with her too.

Whilst Hiram Antonio Lodge slipped off to New York City, Julian Silvestro Lodge would stand like a stick in the mud.

He soon took a deep breath, keeping it inside before he let out all the stress from the last five years out in a desperate gasp. It all came tumbling down, he dropped to his knees, scraping along the cold concrete. He had spent so long trying to keep every weakness, every crack and chink in his armour that had began to appear, disadvantages that would appear and disappear from time to time, from state to state. Five years since leaving his home, leaving his own sick mother with a nurse they knew well enough to keep her safe. His mother was made of iron, tougher than nails. She might have been edging into her older years, and was tough, but when she couldn't walk, when she had to use a wheelchair, it began to worry him. How the hell could they have left their mother on her own, with someone they trusted but she barely knew?

Hiram would always say how family was everything, how it was no man left behind. He was a hypocrite, he didn't care about them. _He didn't give a single shit about anybody but himself…_

Taking a look at his watch, he soon realised that he spent two hours at the docks. He'd pushed his car into the river and was contemplating the relationship between him and his family and how they all were gonna get screwed by him at some point.

It was just a matter of time…

 _ **-X-**_

 _ **~September 3rd, 2017 – Riverdale, New York~**_

It had been eighteen years since the Atlanta Art Heist, eighteen years which had soon turned into a peaceful life. Hiram had settled down and found a wife, had a little girl named Veronica Lodge. They had stayed in New York, soon creating an import business known as Lodge Industries. Hiram, with just two hundred and fifty million dollars, obtained through 'legal' means had soon created a Fortune 500 company known across the United States for shipping innumerable amounts of car parts. That was all him, he had achieved what he had wanted to do, even if it meant having to stay dirty for the rest of his life.

Jules had remained in Riverdale, and after losing Mrs. Lodge it became much more apparent that the Lodge Family had never been split in two like it had done. Their mother was the one link that had kept Hiram and Jules together and now that it was gone, the two could not have been more different. Hiram was basically the aspiring con artist, the man who had decided that being waist deep in shit was a good thing to be. Jules was done, his money was enough for him and whatever family he would possibly have in the future.

It had been a cold day in hell when he saw a straw basket with a little black-haired babe in swaddling cloth outside of his own home. He had no idea who had left the kid there, but they left him there with a little card on his miniscule chest, words written in black ink.

 _Hi! My name is Edward! I have been left here because my mom and dad don't have enough money to look after another baby! They left me here because they know anywhere is better than living in filth and going to a dead end! Please look after me!_

Jules did not exactly know how to care for a little baby left on his doorstep just like in _Harry Potter,_ but the younger Lodge doubted that the little baby was capable of casting spells. The little boy he took in, the child he gave food and a cot to stay in was his child and nobody else was going to say otherwise. Edward Drake Lodge was his son and over sixteen years that Jules had looked after his son, he had been proud of what he was seeing. He was smart, dedicated and multi-talented, and it was something that Jules would always be grateful for. He was grateful for the one in a million chance that a baby was dropped on his modern forest house. He might not have had a rendezvous with a lady, he might not have had a proper family but it just meant his relationship with his son was greater than any other one he had.

Whilst his son might have been much more of an actor and dancer, it didn't stop him from embracing sports whenever the dry spells of shows came along. It just so happened that both father and son had taken a liking to combat sports to relieve stress.

Jules stood in the black and red kit, watching as his son stood opposing in blue and white. Jules was getting on in years, and he was already short as it was. He was five foot nine and noticeably Latino, olive skin highlighting in the lights above their cage. Edward was six foot two, built like he was made of steel and was strong as moonshine. The trainers were astounded by how quick the kid was growing skill wise, but having the natural abilities and attributes that being a six foot two, two hundred pound young man with the stamina to match almost made him a demon in the cage. As soon as Edward began to move forward, Jules had no other choice but to move forward to initiate combat.

"You think you can actually take on your old man now, kid?" Jules spoke, smacking his two gloves together before throwing the first straight left.

The aforementioned straight left was slapped down, like a fly being swatted away as if it were nothing. Edward advanced, kicking twice at his father's left leg and landing both times. The older man was forced to move backwards, keeping his hands up whilst Edward threw two crosses, left to right before finishing with a kick to his liver. It was at the last moment that Jules had caught his son's leg and forced him down to the floor. Now in side control, Jules attempted to use his elbows to smack his son a few times, only to have it land against the back of his son's hand.

 _The kid is good, getting better every day. He could be the next big thing…_ was what Jules was thinking as he continued, eventually getting into the north-south position.

He managed to land two punches to his gut before he felt his son's arms wrap around his waist and roll over, immediately changing position to where his son was now on top. He soon turned to the side, and Edward had an iron grip on his right arm, pulling and twisting until Jules had began to tap against his son's arm. The father and son soon were on their knees, Edward wearing a wide smile on his face as he began to take off the gloves.

"So, one minute and fifty seconds." Edward gasped. "Surprised you can last so long, Dad."

"Hey, just because your old man is fifty-two doesn't mean he can't fight, you little twerp." Jules reminded. "You are getting good on the ground now, especially on your back. All you have to do now is-"

Before Jules could think of another criticism for his son, he could hear his phone ringtone go off outside of the cage. The basic iPhone ringtone was reverberating, soon getting on Edward's nerves, before his parent silenced it and began to natter over the phone to who Edward soon realised was his auntie, Hermione. He began to feel around his face for any damage, soon finding where his dad had thrown the two elbows which had left a bright red mark. He laughed a little before he ruffled his hair, a little strand of black hair sticking to the tape, soon wiping the sheen of sweat from under his bright blue eyes. He could overhear is father trying to tell Hermione to calm down, before ending the call after speaking lightning-fast Spanish. Jules soon returned to the cage, sighing before he called his son.

"That was Aunt Hermione. She just told me that her and your cousin are staying at the Pembrooke Hotel." Jules began. "Hiram has been arrested for fraud, illicit trafficking and tax evasion. Veronica's going to be transferred to Riverdale High so maybe you can make her feel comfortable?"

Edward began to unwind the hand-wraps, sighing. "I guess so, it's only been two years since we actually saw each other."

 _ **-X-**_

 _ **~Pop's Chock'litte Shoppe, Riverdale~**_

While his father had made it explicitly clear that he was going to meet his sister-in-law, Jules had always been honest in what Hiram was doing in New York. The younger Lodge knew his son would keep his mouth shut, since both Jules and Edward had kept themselves out of the public eye, they decided to not get involved with whatever Hiram waded in. Jules' might have been part of the Board of Directors for Lodge Industries, but it was just to secure the Board in case they rebelled against Hiram. It was made even more clear when Hermione was added to the Board, soon even Veronica and Edward were added too. It was all part of his schemes, to keep on top of the game, to not lose control.

Much like Edward was trying to not lose control of the blue Ford Focus RS whilst he pulled into Pop's Diner.

Pulling the handbrake and turning off the engine, Edward realised he might not have looked great since his match in the cage. His face still glowed red around his left eye and cheek, but nothing more. Edward knew that when he got a burger and onion rings from Pop's, he would definitely feel a lot better. Even walking into the Fifties-esque diner made him feel better, with the pudgy yet kindly owner, Pop Tate giving him a warm welcome. Edward handed Pop a ten dollar note, placing the order before turning to see his two friends, Betty and Archie sitting at a booth with a raven-haired girl standing above them. She soon turned to look at the counter, soon gaping like a fish as she saw a much more developed Edward Lodge in front of her.

"Oh-Emm-Gee, Edward is that you?" Veronica squealed, running into his arms and giving him the tightest hug possible. "I've missed you so much, Eddie! How have you been? You're so…"

"Tall, muscular, dashingly attractive? It's all true, it's amazing what exercise can do in two years." Edward replied, soon looking to Betty and Archie. The beautiful blonde girl and the handsome redhead seemed to be in the middle of something, and the Lodge family always seemed to have a tendency to rush in and ruin any well-made plans. "Hey, guys, we weren't interrupting were we?"

Archie remained quiet, with Betty being the one to respond. "Oh, it's nothing, Eddie. We were just talking to our new student here, I'll be giving her the tour tomorrow." The blonde spoke, giving a sweet smile.

"I trust that you can keep my dear cousin in safe hands then?" Edward asked, tucking his hands into his hoodie.

"Wait, you two are cousins?" Archie interjected. "That's so awesome, guys. It'll be cool for us to all hang out some time."

Before either of the Lodge cousins could respond, Pop Tate called out the two orders which were meant for both Veronica and Edward. Quickly waving goodbye to the couple, Edward and Veronica left the diner and walked to the blue hatchback, with Edward opening the door for Veronica, soon getting into the driver's seat. Edward heard Veronica give a heavy sigh. "My dad told me what happened, Ronnie. Do you want to talk about it?"

"The Police… they arrested Daddy when we were in the restaurant." Veronica managed to mutter. "We barely managed to keep our own belongings before we got here. I was terrified, Eddie. I… I'm just happy I've got you and Uncle Jules here as well. What about you, bruises don't suit your pretty little face, dear cousin."

"Ah, this was just some good old-fashioned sparring with Dad. Two elbows, I'm surprised he didn't cut me open with 'em." Eddie replied. "You staying at the Pembrooke with your mom?" 

"Yeah, we agreed we'd get some food from Pop's before I got caught up in that… ginger stallion." Veronica spoke, soon taking a bite out of a small fry.

Edward soon placed his keys into the slot, before turning on the engine. The dashboard soon came to life, as well as the engine giving a soft purr as they pulled out and were on the way back to the hotel. "I'll see if I can talk to Betty, later, go on the tour with you. Might help you feel at ease."

Veronica turned to her lanky cousin. "Thank you, Eddie."

"No problem, you are going to love Riverdale."

 **-X-X-X-**

 **HEY!**

 **So it's been a long time since I have written a chapter for an original fanfiction, the second attempt at a Riverdale fanfiction. College has been a massive pain, but after finishing Season Two of Riverdale, the inspiration had hit me right in the nose. So, this is one I am determined to finish, even if it kills me. I will not let this one die and fade into deletion. The OC pair (Uncle Jules and Cousin Edward) will be just a small part of a larger scheme in my version of the show. I will focus more on integrating them into the cast, so it will feel more natural and hopefully you will come to like them if you also like the story too!**

 **Thanks for reading the chapter, remember to follow, favourite and review for even more of my writing!**

 **-Skrumpf**


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1: The Horrifying Fact That School Has Started Again, As Well As Other Things**_

Not much had happened after Edward and Veronica had arrived at The Pembrooke, other than the small conversations that allowed the pair to escape the more serious discussion between Jules and Hermione, their respective parents. They had enjoyed the small amount of time they got to spend together, before Edward had been called to go home by his father. He gave his cousin a tight hug, whispering to her that 'everything would be okay' before doing the same to his auntie, soon leaving to catch up with his father.

"Dad, is Aunt Hermione alright? Did she say anything about what happened?" Edward quickly asked, vocalising his thoughts louder than he should have done.

Jules gave his son a stern look, one that Edward had come to label as the 'shut up now' look. Whilst Edward soon stopped speaking, it didn't stop him from trying to imagine what had happened from what Veronica had told him. Uncle Hiram had been taken away in the middle of family dinner, charged with illicit trafficking, fraud, embezzlement and tax evasion. It was a nasty combination of charges to have thrown at anyone, but it didn't matter. While they might not have seen Hiram, Hermione and Veronica as often as they wished, it did not make them any less a part of the family.

It just meant that they would have to readjust until everything had been dealt with, whether it were temporarily dealt with or permanently.

They took the elevator down to the ground floor, giving the chauffeur, Smithers, a small nod of recognition before leaving the hotel. Whilst his father had gotten into his slick BMW i8, Edward returned to his Focus RS and soon saw that his father was trying to call him through the dashboard, connected to his phone. Edward quickly tapped the green button, his father sighing heavily before he began.

"What have I told you about talking about the family where people could hear you, _Chico?"_ Jules half-heartedly growled. He had called him 'boy' He was making his son, the son that towered him physically feel as if his dad was the most intimidating person in the world.

Edward took a few seconds. "I'm sorry, Dad, but I was only asking. I didn't even say anything about Hiram or what happened."

"That's not the point, kid! Just… you need to keep quiet whenever you decide to bring up your uncle and what he's got himself into down in New York." Jules responded. "Look, just don't bring it up unless it's only me and you, and nobody else is around, _bien?"_

Edward grimaced for a time. " _Si, padre."_

Of course, his father would be a little sore when it came to the Hiram situation. Hiram and Jules were as thick as thieves, if everything that his father had told Edward were true, even if they were polar opposites to the other. Perhaps he was keeping his cards to his chest, as well as Hermione may have been too to keep both Edward and Veronica away from the situation in case they were ever brought into it. Even if their was the slightest chance of that happening, his dad and Veronica's mother would never allow danger to come to either of them, never. Besides, the two new Lodges needed to adjust to life in the sleepy town of Riverdale. Edward could help Veronica with fitting in at Riverdale High, alongside Betty, Archie and Jughead while Jules would have to worry with what was happening with Hermione and the situation with his brother.

 _If only life agrees to make it that easy…_

 _ **-X-**_

Sometimes, waking up for the first day of school since the summer was a good one, but not always.

The Riverdale High School community, as well as the North Side of Riverdale were still reeling over the news that a member of the most influential family in Riverdale, The Blossoms, had been reported missing. Jason Blossom, the star quarterback for the Bulldogs had apparently fallen into the Sweetwater River, never to be seen again. The last one to seem him alive had been his Cheryl, who was then found by the edge of the river by Dilton Doiley and his scouts. The river was soon dragged and trawled by the Police, but no body was found.

Without the circumstances of the disappearance, Veronica might have been the talk of the high school, coming to Riverdale whilst being perpetually over-dressed as she flashed the riches and designer clothes that she managed to keep out of the hands of the New York Police Department. The more he thought about it, the more Edward wondered if Veronica was going to ever acclimatise to the small town she found herself in. He doubted himself, that if he was going to New York or Monaco, he would ever be used to the skyscrapers or exotic hotels. No, so he had no reason to doubt his cousin on whether Riverdale would soon become her home. The Pembrooke Hotel didn't exactly have the most welcoming feel to it, yet Veronica had probably spent more time in penthouses than anybody else in Riverdale.

Edward was stood outside Principal Weatherbee's office, waiting for his dear cousin to escape so they could get on with the tour and then be done with the rest of the day. Betty was waiting alongside him, although she was a lot more patient than Edward ever would be.

"So, what were you doing with Archie Andrews before my dear cousin rudely interrupted, Miss Cooper?" Edward said, not looking at her but around the room.

Betty seemed a little sensitive when she spoke. "Nothing much, just reuniting after a long time apart. We were just… talking. Yes, just talking."

Edward finally turned towards the blonde. "You don't have to lie, Betty. We all know that you like Archie, it's nothing to be ashamed of."

Betty sighed, rather loudly. "I had planned with Kevin before I met Archie last night that I would bring it up with him, that now after coming back from my internship I thought it was now or never. We got to talking about the summer, the internship, him working with Mr. Andrews. He even started talking about how he started singing, Eddie. It was so..."

"Romantic? Blissful? Perfect? It seems like a perfect little rendezvous for Betty Cooper."

"All of the above and more, Eddie. I was about to tell him when we met Veronica." Betty replied, now looking directly at Eddie. "And then you came in too, thank God."

Before Edward could say anything, the door to the office opened up and Veronica joined the pair. Overdressed, she made both Eddie and Betty look like paupers in comparison. The trio wandered the school for first period, soon being joined by Kevin Keller, updating Veronica on the drab and dull nightlife that permeated in the town. It was true, there was not exactly much to do when it came to a small town like Riverdale, but that was why friends made their own fun, why they did what they did together as well as all of them having their hobbies and family lives. As they walked through the school, they soon saw the metaphorical devil that they had just been speaking of. The red-headed footballer that was the object of Betty's desires: Archie Andrews.

"Okay, so Archie and Betty may not be dating, but they are endgame." Kevin had stated, one part of the conversation that Edward had managed to catch a hold of.

Edward caught the blush that Betty seemed to now have on her cheeks. "Considering it's been endgame since we have all been in elementary school, it's about time."

"Then perhaps, my dear cousin, we should advocate for Betty here to ask him to the semi-formal." Veronica began. "It would only be appropriate for the red-headed Ansel Elgort to go out with the blonde beauty at my side."

"I heard it might be getting cancelled, after what happened to Jason. There gonna tell us at the assembly." Kevin stated, his sombre tone giving away what he thought happened to Betty and Edward, but not Veronica.

"Who's Jason, and what happened to him?"

There was an uncomfortable between the four members of the group. Whilst they had been nattering away at the supposed handsomeness of Archie and the possibility of the Back-to-School Semi-Formal Dance being on or being cancelled, nobody really wanted to confront why it may or may not have been on soon. What had happened on July the fourth had been the cause of much debate, from what happened to Jason Blossom, if his sister Cheryl had much to do with it and how he had just disappeared. An innocent boat ride had turned into a mystery, with one question on everyone's mind: what happened to Jason Blossom?

As soon as they had finished their first class, of which for Edward and Betty it was Biology, Principal Weatherbee called an assembly in the sports hall. The blue and gold paint was shining, just like the basketball arena which looked as if it had been spit-polished and wiped down by hand. There was a small podium set out, where both Principal Weatherbee himself as well as the queen of Riverdale High, Cheryl Blossom, were sat. She was dressed entirely in white, making even Veronica in all her extravagance look like a part of the peasantry in comparison. Edward and Betty had tried to get as close to Archie and Veronica as they could, but only ended up a few rows behind them. As soon as everyone had been filed into the massive room, Weatherbee began preaching the regular sermon that he would repeat at the start of every beginning year. He was relatively calm and collected, but whenever someone decided to get on the bad side of the principal, it was horrid to see or even hear. He had the look of an older and weary man, but the anger of the angst-ridden teenagers that populated his school.

Amongst other whispers, Betty and Edward soon joined in, trying to be careful as to not catch anyone's attention. "Do you really think Weatherbee will cancel the Semi-Formal? It seems like it might just be a bit too much for one person, considering this hasn't happened before."

"Can't exactly say I would know, Betty." Edward murmured, looking at the teachers below to see if they were looking at those in the bleachers. "Jason was the captain of the football team, water-polo team and you know, just a good guy in general."

Betty sighed. "You know what I'm going to say, Eddie."

"I have an inkling. Something to do with Polly."

Eddie turned to his blonde-haired friend, seeing through the act and spotting the yearning that Betty had for her missing older sister. Ever since Jason had disappeared, Polly had gone off the deep end and had to be put into a group home. Since then, nobody had ever gotten the chance to visit the eldest Cooper daughter. Eddie soon took a hold of Betty's hand, giving a small squeeze. He could sympathise with her plight, even if he had never exactly experienced what she had been going through recently. It was a horrifying concept, Eddie had to admit.

"…Jason wouldn't want us to spend the year mourning, Jason would want us to move on with our lives. Which is why I have asked the school board not to cancel the school's semi-formal, but to use it as a way to heal collectively, to celebrate my brother's too-short life on this mortal coil. Thank you, all."

Whilst neither Eddie or Betty had strictly been paying attention to the speech that both Weatherbee or Cheryl had made, they both joined the masses in clapping when Cheryl revealed that the school dance would not be cancelled at all.

 _ **-X-**_

After the assembly, it had been a short run to the nearest restroom for Eddie before sprinting into his AP Psychology class. It had been a completely incidental encounter that Eddie had been chosen for the course, but instead of resenting the subject, he soon grew to become fascinated by the mind and it's various behaviours. However, it had not just been the reading material and work that interested Eddie, yet the classmate that had been sitting right next to him whilst he worked.

Josie McCoy, lead singer of the Pussycats. Only the best girl-band in Riverdale, and Rockland County by extension since they won the Battle of the Bands competition just a few months before Jason's disappearance.

She had been a few pages ahead of him when he actually arrived, but she had been somewhat kind enough to fill him on the lesson so far. They had been focusing on the psychodynamic approach, created by Sigmund Freud. At first glance, Eddie was slightly repulsed by what he was reading. Psychosexual stages which lead to such regular things like oral fixations and other personality traits had began to weird him out just that little bit more. Whilst tuning out of conversations was something he did a lot, Eddie was nothing if not a talkative and slightly sarcastic teenager.

Going through his own guidebook and highlighting specific sentences, he was soon tapped on the shoulder by Josie. Turning to her, Eddie had immediately noticed that the brown and greys of her jacket and jeans seemed to compliment her already dark skin, with her hair being pushed back and frizzed up a little by the pussycat ears on her hairband. Pulling his earplugs out, a small rumbling emerged from them when Eddie looked to her.

"You're not the only one that finds this stuff weird, Lodge." Josie whispered, quickly readjusting the hairband.

Eddie sighed. "You're telling me, McCoy. I think Reggie Mantle might have a lot of issues if all of this stuff is true."

Josie stifled a small giggle, sighing before picking up her pencil again to circle two lines. "I think Reggie has a lot of issues even if this isn't true, he's a pervert. A very well-built and handsome pervert, but still a pervert."

 _God, why is her smile so amazing? Why is her voice so heavenly? Jesus, why am I internally monologuing about this instead of actually trying anything with her? Christ, why am I such an emotionally torn individual with barely any social skills that pertain to the female race?_

Looking around the room, Eddie caught sight of Mr. Lang sitting at his desk whilst everyone else was scribbling down storms of notes. He was the only one who wasn't writing, because now even Josie had continued doing her own work whilst Eddie was caught observing everyone else. Soon, Mr. Lang had caught sight of this too and spoke aloud.

"Edward Lodge, I know the concept might be different to slamming people onto the wrestling mats, but do try to actually get some notes down, okay?"

Eddie shook his head to pay attention, now with other students around looking at him to see what he was looking at. "Sorry, sir." Eddie sputtered, placing his left earplug back into his ear and changing the song. The phone on his lap rumbled, and a small notification that had Josie's name above it had popped up.

 **Josie: Nice job :-)**

Eddie turned to his classmate, who had the most miniscule of smirks on her face whilst she was writing notes. Eddie shook his head and kept his head down, placing his elbow against the desk until he 'slipped' and caused Josie to create a massive black dash against the rest of her empty page in her book. Josie turned to Eddie, eyes closed and mouth slightly before she took a small breath and turned back to working. Eddie smiled when his phone rumbled once again, with the same name at the top of the text.

 **Josie: You have started a war.**

 _ **-X-**_

"So, you are friends with one of the most popular girls in the school?" Veronica spoke, dinner tray in hands. "Cousin Eddie, you are definitely a little sly puppy."

"I believe the term is 'sly dog'. Besides, you are definitely overthinking it. Me and Josie sit in one class, yes I may do a little bit of musical theatre from time to time, but she is in a different ball park to me. She's Fenway Park and I am, the batting cage just away from the football pitch." Eddie replied, before taking a few small sips from his orange juice.

It had not taken long for Eddie and Veronica to get their seats next to Archie, Betty and Kevin. The trio, which soon turned into the group of five had just managed to catch the end of one of Archie's original songs. The redhead teen seemed more shy than usual, which Eddie could completely understand. Singing made people vulnerable in the way that sports like Archie's football and Eddie's wrestling didn't. Songs were meant to be inner thoughts, emotions that were held near and dear to the hearts of those who sang them. Whenever Eddie sang on stage, he was vulnerable to the fear that if he forgot his lines, he would freeze and be made a mockery out of. It was horrifying, which was why he had always threw himself into wrestling and a lot of the time as well, throwing himself or someone else onto the floor with him.

"It's incredible, the little snippet from what I heard. Is that your thing, music? Are you doing something with it?" Veronica asked.

"Yeah, yeah, that's the plan." Archie mumbled, quickly pressing the pause button on his phone. "So, how's your first day going good?"

"Not to be a complete narcissist, but-"

"You thought people would be more obsessed with you. Any other year that would be true but this year, the trending topic is all about Cheryl getting the supporting psycho Oscar for Riverdale High's grieving red widow."

With Kevin catching on to Veronica's expectations of the school with alarming accuracy, Archie soon left to attend a session with the school's teacher, Miss Grundy. Soon after, Kevin had to assuage Betty of the fear that Cheryl Blossom, the aforementioned grieving sibling had yet to make a move on Archie Andrews either, keeping her intentions safe and secure to the four people on the table just for a few more days before the red widow herself, Cheryl, had towered over their table. If her fiery red hair had yet to give away the fascination with the colour, then the skirt, brooch and nail colour definitely did. Eddie didn't exactly have the greatest of social skills, and that was more than enough for Cheryl and many other kids at Riverdale High to pick up on. The way she stood above them had Eddie thinking of how many God Complexes that Cheryl had before she began to speak.

"Veronica and Edward Lodge. I heard whisperings another one was joining my dear friend, Eddie here. If you didn't know, I'm Cheryl Blossom. May I sit? Betty, would you mind?"

Betty didn't even have the time to get a word in edgeways before Cheryl sat next to them, immediately sticking her nose into Veronica's business. The topic of Archie was dropped in favour of extra-curricular activities. "Cheerleading, it's a must. I am the captain of the Riverdale River Vixens."

"Is cheerleading still a thing?" Kevin enquired, a sceptical look upon his face as he looked at what he previously called the 'Queen Cee' of Riverdale High School.

"Is being the gay best friend still a thing, Kevin?" Cheryl quickly spat back. "Besides, you wrestle. I do cheerleading, and one is clearly better than the other."

"The captain of the wrestling team disagrees with that statement, Cherry Bomb." Eddie quickly interjected. "I'd rather be throwing people on the floor than dancing in vests and short skirts."

Cheryl gave a death glare towards the male Lodge. "I would be very careful with what you say to me, Edward. I really do not need to bring up what happened between you and Chuck Clayton the last time you and him got into a petty little scrum because you couldn't decide who was the better wrestler."

Edward scoffed, before he muttered. "Yeah, tell that to his face."

"What was that?"

"Nothing, dear Cheryl. Must have been the wind."

Cheryl began to chat with Veronica about joining the cheerleading squad, how she had done it before and also wanted Betty to try out too. A small barb about how much Betty ate and how it was a full time requirement later and the passive-aggressive, will-she-won't-she firebomb that was Cheryl Blossom had left their table. Eddie let out a massive sigh before he downed the contents of his bottle, leaving nothing but bits of orange sliding down the inside of the plastic. Veronica looked at her cousin with widened eyes, curious to what event Eddie and Cheryl had been hissing at each other about just seconds ago.

"So, Chuck Clayton? Must be a real type of guy with a name like that." Veronica began, with Betty looking over her shoulder to see the six foot four giant with Reggie Mantle and Moose Mason.

"The guy is an asshole, and nothing happ-"

Before Eddie could even deny anything that had happened, Kevin had already decided that catching Veronica up on gossip was more important than Eddie's dignity. "Last year, Chuck and Eddie, both were in the light heavyweight division for the wrestling team. Since they were also the oldest ones their, the coach wanted someone to step up and try for the captain. Chuck and Eddie decided that a tournament for the role would be the best idea to see who deserved the role more, which in all fairness, was a good idea."

"Kevin, please..." Eddie tried to say, but now Veronica was already on the case.

"No, I want to hear this now. What did you do, cousin?"

Eddie sighed before Kevin continued his story. "It went just as everyone expected, both Chuck and Eddie were forging their way through anyone who wanted to be captain. In the semi-finals, it was Chuck, Eddie, Nick Hernandez and Jimmy Kitts. Chuck steam-rolled Kitts easily, like it was nothing. Eddie hear had a harder match. Hernandez is basically a giant, like, nothing you have ever seen. It was five round match, and after Eddie almost submitted to an armbar, he came back and pinned Hernandez after he took out his legs."

"Eddie, are you okay?" Betty asked. "You don't look too good."

"Talk about looking good, Hernandez, oh-em-gee." Kevin drooled, remembering the match as if it were just yesterday.

"Kevin, keep on topic. What happened?"

Kevin soon snapped out of his little fantasies, continuing. "Well, Clayton-Lodge was soon announced to be happening after school on the Friday. What nobody knew was that Clayton had decided to actually try and attack Eddie to knock him out in the match. He wouldn't get punished because his dad heads the Varsity Football team. When we saw what happened, we all thought Eddie wouldn't get up. It was just a straight uppercut, which..."

"Broke my nose, the asshole." Eddie muttered. "He almost fractured my orbital too."

"Your cousin is a tough guy, not many people can get a punch from Chuck and stand up. Eddie cut him open, elbowed him across the nose and left eye. He fractured his wrist too before the two were stopped. Your cousin was made captain because he actually managed to get Chuck to submit in the armbar, at least until he served his week's suspension."

 _ **-X-**_

"Gee, Kevin. Thanks for telling Veronica and Betty again about what happened between me and Chuck."

Kevin sighed as both himself and Eddie did press-ups on the floor outside. It had been the prerogative of the pair that they would train away from the other wrestlers when it wasn't official wrestling team training against schools. However, neither made it easy on the other and the fall weather was beginning to nip at the both of them. On the fields, Archie, Reggie and Moose were trying out for the Varsity Football team whilst some others were in the batting cages, not many changes had been made to the baseball squad evidently.

"Well, I couldn't not let Veronica not know about your legendary clash with the Chuck Clayton. It's almost legendary around the whole school anyway, what's one more person who knows about you and Chuck going out it like two bulls in a gym-sized china shop?" Kevin asked.

Eddie growled. "Kev, you know that is not the point. It's not something I am proud of, Keller. I only train in a cage for self-defence, not to be glorified by others because I almost fractured Chuck's wrist and cut him open. Wrestling is what I like, not fighting like dogs."

Almost immediately, Kevin had swiped both of Eddie's arms from under him, sending him falling to the freezing grass. Sighing from the mud, Kevin hovered above him, getting both closer and further to and from his face with every additional press-up. "I think that you need to stop being so ashamed of something that everyone supports you on, Eddie. What Chuck did was wrong, but he scared you. A broken nose and an almost fractured orbital, is bad, but you gave it back as good as you got it. You showed a lot of people that you can stand up to bullies."

After the final whistle from Coach Clayton, everyone seemed deflated as sports practice ended. The school bell echoed from the gym in the cold air, as Kevin offered his hand to pick up Eddie. The pair soon joined Veronica, Betty and Archie as they began the walk to the car so they could go home. Betty seemed unusually quiet, as did Archie. Veronica soon announced that for the Semi-Formal, the group would all be going together, just to relax so they could forget the stresses that had now returned in the forms of school as well as those around them.

Namely, Cheryl Blossom.


	3. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2: The River's Edge**_

The walk home had been a little more awkward than usual, mainly because it was so painstakingly obvious that Eddie was a third wheel accompanying Betty and Archie whilst on the way home. How he had managed to walk with them without thinking that he was interrupting was something that had not crossed his mind until the trio had reached Kennedy Street. Fred Andrews, Archie's father had been waiting for his son for what looked like quite a while, beckoning his son to come in for a quiet word. He gave Eddie and Betty a silent smile and polite wave before following his son into his home. Whilst Eddie had known both Archie and Betty for a long time, he got on more with Betty than he did with Archie. Archie was best friends with Jughead, and Archie was so unknowingly oblivious to the clear signs Betty was showing of a massive crush on the Andrews boy. Even if Archie and Eddie had more to talk about, Eddie connected to Betty in a way that Eddie rarely did with anyone else.

Eddie even knew himself that the connection wasn't romantic. There just hadn't been that spark between them, even when Jughead and Archie were away and it was only them in Riverdale. There was an unspoken bond between the Lodge heir and Cooper girl that kept them as close friends.

Despite what ever happened between them, no matter who came between them, they would always be friends.

"So, what did you say to Archie before we started walking?" Eddie asked the blonde, her cheeks blushing furiously both due to the fall winds and the implication of her talking to teenage crush just next door to her.

"I… was going to ask him to the Semi-Formal." Betty replied. "My nerves got to me, and I asked him if he could take both me and Veronica to the dance instead. God, I'm such an idiot."

Eddie grumbled, causing Betty to look at him with interest. "What was that?" She asked.

"You know what that was, Betty. You're not an idiot, you're completely fine, you just got nervous. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Betty sighed as she began to play with the hem and threading of her sleeves. While Jughead, Archie, Eddie and Betty had been friends since they were in kindergarten, Eddie was the one boy who could somewhat understand how she felt at least half of the time when it came to her own issues. He had opened himself up to her, in regards to his own issues. He was raised in a household with one father figure and no mother, surrounded by everything he could have ever wanted and allowed to do anything he wanted that was within reason. Yet, he did not have that motherly figure to care for him. His Aunt Hermione had been the closest thing to that whenever he was allowed to stay in New York with Veronica, but since he had turned eleven, he hadn't seen them in years.

It just so happened that while Eddie let himself open up to Betty with his problems regarding his lack of a mother, she soon found herself speaking about her own issues. Her mother and father had possibly one of the most dysfunctional relationships she had ever known. Polly was gone, shipped off to a group home since Jason had disappeared and now she was the sole focus of her mother. Alice Cooper, a perfectionist personified, forcing her youngest daughter into being what she could not be, something nobody else could ever achieve. She had not told anyone but Eddie that her mother was putting her on medication, Adderall XR to be precise, for some kind of attention deficit disorder she apparently didn't know she had. Betty had to be perfect, not a single flaw could exist, let alone be seen by anyone in the town, or the school. Sometimes she had to vent everything out, and since Eddie had done the same to her, he had agreed it was only fair that she do it to him too.

Betty couldn't understand as to why he was so kind, or why he had managed to end up how he did. Her mother said horrendous things about his family. She would say 'Betty, you are to never go near a member of the Lodge family in your life. They are scoundrels, criminals, you might think you know the Lodge boy, but you don't. He's just like the rest, just like Archie'. Her mother had not said a word to Eddie, only exchanged a grimace or scowl when looking at him, and maybe the occasional snort if she ever saw the redhead boy next door.

"You say that, but you're just saying that." Betty muttered, reassuring herself.

"No, Betty, I'm not just saying that." Eddie spoke. "You can put yourself down as much as you want, but I'm not going to agree with it when I'm around. You're my best friend, and hopefully I'm yours too. You're not stupid, how can you be when you're the girl with the best grades in the entire school?"

"Just because I get good grades doesn't mean I'm not stupid, Eddie. You..."

"You, what?"

Betty sighed. "Nothing, it's horrible."

"Betty, I can handle a few mean words."

The blonde closed her eyes, clasping her hands before she spoke. "Good grades doesn't mean you're smarter than everyone else. I have done stupid things, and you have done amazing things at school."

Eddie snorted and smiled. "Is this the Betty Cooper way of saying that my grades are shit?"

Betty giggled at his bluntness. "Not terrible, and definitely not what you said. I can help you with them, you know? You're already great at wrestling, and what you do with your dad..."

Eddie smiled at the compliment. A lot of people had told him the same, that he was excelling in wrestling like the other guys did at football or baseball. It was just more physical, more orientated around throwing each other to the floor and keeping them around. The fact that Eddie had mastered a few other martial arts and mixed them into his game had easily ruled him out as one of the boys who would be going for a sports scholarship. "It's horrifyingly violent and aggressive, as some have been telling me."

"It's amazing. If you can manhandle Chuck Clayton..." Betty began.

"Why does that have to be the one time everyone likes to focus on my wrestling?" Eddie asked, somewhat frustratedly as he looked away from the blonde. The more he looked at her, the more he wondered how Archie couldn't fall in love with her.

Betty placed her hand under his chin and forced Eddie to look at her. Her emerald eyes were drilling through him, the most serious of looks clear on her face. It was one of those looks that could inspire fear in some of the toughest of men, and Eddie would gladly accept that he was not that tough. Her looking at him that way was enough to cause his aggression to cower away in the deeper recesses of his soul. "Do I have to say this? You proved to the school that you can stand up against the Bulldog goon squad, especially Chuck. You really don't understand how much you have helped some people at that school."

Before Eddie could reply to what she had clearly meant, her mother had opened the door to the Cooper household. Betty quickly muttered her farewells, hopping up the two steps before entering the white brick house. Betty mumbled a small apology whilst Alice Cooper stood out and glared at the young boy still stood outside her house. Eddie was stuck in place, but he kept up the staring contest with Betty's mother until she herself returned to her own domicile.

"How polite..." Eddie mumbled, continuing on with the walk home.

 _ **-X-**_

Ever since the school year had started, Betty had been pushed more and more to be the best by her mother. She definitely wasn't stupid, she liked to think that she was smart. She would put herself down, but she would say it was just being humble and not overconfident in her abilities. What was wrong with that? Her mother pushed her so much that it was almost scary, and her dad wasn't there to stop her. Why was it that all they cared about was their perfect life, their so-called 'perfect' daughters. Betty _was not perfect._ Betty knew she wasn't perfect, she knew Polly wasn't perfect either. Her sister had rebelled, she wanted to be with Jason, she loved him despite her parents hating his family's guts and Jason's. Her grief at his disappearance had sent her over the deep end, forced her mother to call the group home to keep Polly away from them.

She had been ruined, Jason Blossom had ruined Polly Cooper. Her mother had finished her off, betraying her in such a way that was almost unbelievable. Betty could not say anything, not unless she wished to be at odds with her own mother and father and she couldn't handle that too, as well as everything else.

As soon as she had gotten in, she had ran up to her room and dropped her bag. She needed a dress, a nice, new dress for the Semi-Formal when she went with Archie and Veronica. Why she had asked Archie to take both her and Veronica, she had no idea but it was something to do with her own inherent kindness. She would have preferred it if she could have gone alone with Archie, to finally tell him much he meant to her but Veronica was new and she barely knew anyone aside from her own cousin. She had to show Veronica what Riverdale was filled with good people, and Betty was the kindest of all.

The blonde looked at herself in her vanity mirror, the blue and gold fabric over the white thermals mixed so well. Veronica had basically forced Cheryl to place Betty into the cheerleading squad, so whatever Betty did, she definitely owed Veronica big time. The dance was just her way of paying her back. She soon fell back onto her bed and closed her eyes, imagining what the dance would be like with the dimmed lights and music reverberating all over the hall. She would be in Archie's arms, slow dancing to some song that she didn't know the name of. She soon opened her eyes and looked around her room, the pale pink and white walls, the same coloured bedsheets with the white wooden furniture all meshed into one, beside the retro-styled radio that she quickly connected her phone too. Three songs in, Betty's spirits had been lifted somewhat as she had soon taken a hairbrush and began to sing her heart out.

" _Praise cool, I'm sorry but there's no can do. My youth ain't tangled up in bad decisions. Poor you, you thought you could escape the rules..._ " She hummed the lyrics as she jumped off the bed, quickly brushing herself up with make-up before the music was cut off. She turned around to see her mother stood behind her.

The term 'scary' didn't even describe Betty's mother. Alice Cooper was a hawk, the ever-watchful parent that made sure her daughter did nothing to stain her own reputation and the reputation of the Cooper family. Polly definitely took more from Alice than Betty did, but deep down Betty knew she was a lot like her mother too, even if she was too scared to admit that to herself. Her curled hair and her thin cheekbones didn't help but highlight the somewhat hidden fury that Alice was directing at her youngest daughter at that moment.

"What is that?" Mrs. Cooper spoke, pronouncing every single syllable as she homed in on her daughter.

Betty tried to smile, to seem happy as she always did. "I made the cheerleading squad." She said, almost proudly.

"Cheryl Blossom's cheerleading squad?" The Cooper matriarch questioned.

Betty's smile dropped immediately, of course her mother knew it was the River Vixens. What did Cheryl Blossom have to do with that? Her mother had told her to find some extra-curricular activities, and she had gotten one already. Her mother abhorred the Blossoms, just like her father. Betty nodded to her mother. "Yeah..."

"Take it off." Alice ordered, now glaring at her daughter.

"What?"

"I said take them off." She repeated. "After what Jason did to Polly, no, I won't have it. Take that off, right now."

At that moment in time, Betty did not know what had come over her. She felt angry, for the first time in long time she was angry. She didn't want to be this perfect girl next door that everyone saw her as, she didn't want to be forced away from the one thing that had actually given her a little pleasure. The uniform was hers, and she would not regress to what she had been turned into by her mother. "No." Betty said, looking right back at her mother.

"What did you just say to me?"

"I do everything for everyone. Everything, to be perfect. The perfect daughter, the perfect sibling, the perfect student. Can't I have this one thing just for me?" She asked, somewhat more timidly as she picked up her purse and threw the strap over her shoulder.

"Wait, wait, Elizabeth, where are you going?" Her mother asked.

"To go and buy a dress. Because guess what? I'm also going to the dance with Archie, and Veronica." As Betty admitted her plans, she could see the disappointment in her mother's eyes at the mention of Archie as always. It was even more so when she mentioned Veronica.

Alice took a moment. "Hermione Lodge's daughter? I'm assuming the cousin of the Lodge boy that lives just outside of town?"

"She's nice and trying to be a good person. Eddie is a good person, I've known him for years, Mom." she quietly answered back. "How can you say what you say when you barely even know either of them?"

"Oh, you think they're nice, do you?" Alice started. "You think Veronica is gonna be your friend, you think Edward is gonna hang around you forever? Let me tell you something, girls like Cheryl Blossom and Veronica Lodge, they don't like girls like you. Boys like Edward Lodge and Archie Andrews, they only want one thing from girls like you-"

"I don't wanna hear it, Mom! It's happening, I'm going."

With her final words said, Betty left the house. She didn't stop to look behind her to see if her mother was going to stop her. No, she was going to have one thing for herself. It was a new school year, and Betty needed to prove to herself now more than ever that she would not be under the thumb of her parents. She would not be under the thumb of anyone, she had to be in control. As she walked along the sidewalk, she had soon realised that for the entire domestic dispute with her mother that she had forcing her nails into the palms of her hands. She had pressed so deep that she had left crescent-shaped scars on her palms. Why did she do this to herself? Did she really have something wrong with her? From what Betty had self-diagnosed from every argument that people tried goading her into, she had scars on her palms, criss-crossing scars she had previously.

How could she be perfect when nobody knew the issues that she held so close to her own chest, so close that nobody really knew what she was really like?

 _ **-X-**_

It hadn't taken much longer for Eddie to get back to the mansion just out of the town. It was a quiet walk back, but he was used to it now. His dad had always said that he never wanted to be a part of the drama in that 'cursed town' as he called it and so had his architects build the mansion out in the sticks. His dad wanted to keep to himself, which was understandable but it hurt Eddie's legs like hell on the way home. He hadn't driven the car today because there was an issue with the exhaust system of the RS, and walking was really hurting a lot now.

The dance would be later on, so all Eddie had to do was find a good suit and pray he looked good.

As soon as he got to the house, he had been stopped by the massive steel grates, a large 'JL' in the middle of the gates that represented his father's ownership and wealth. The small door with a keypad next to it called to Eddie, with the young wrestler quickly tapping in the access code to get into the front lawn of his house. The Fall weather had began to take it's annual toll on the town, the fog soon rolling over the town like an all-encompassing blanket of foreboding doom. The drive was empty, but the separate buildings which housed his dad's collection of cars as well as his own were not. The small forest home had two large garages on the right side of the estate, and another on the left of the impressive structure that seemed like it was hiding itself away from society. Eddie noticed the lights which were one in the left garage and made his way towards it, soon opening the door to find his dad stuck under the Focus, fiddling with some of the mechanics of Eddie's car.

"Hey, kid. Good day at school? No fighting or anything, I hope." Jules had spoke from under the car.

Eddie sighed, taking his backpack off his shoulder and dropping it to the floor. "No, nothing entertaining for you to tell me about. The Semi-Formal is still on, which I guess is a good thing. I don't know."

"Hey," Jules began, before sliding himself up from under the vehicle. "What's up, _hijo_?"

"Honestly, Dad, it's nothing."

"Bullshit, Edward." Jules growled. "You don't just say stuff like that, you never say that."

Eddie looked at his dad, and didn't say a word. He couldn't even look his dad in the face, too afraid to even bring up the subject of why people hated their family so much. What had Eddie ever done to deserve such hate from people like Clifford and Penelope Blossom, as well as Hal and Alice Cooper. Eddie barely knew any of them, he was best friends with Betty and Polly had always been polite with him. Yeah, he did not get on with Jason or Polly but not a lot of people got on with both. Jason might have been liked by most, but not everyone. Cheryl just seemed to act like a bitch half of the time anyway, Eddie was just one of the few who had the balls to send some shit her way when she deserved it.

 _And now is not the time to be sending shit her way, what with what's happened to Jason at the river…_

"Why… why do people hate us, Dad? Why do the Coopers hate us?" Eddie finally asked, stammering over the beginning of his questions before finally vocalising them to his adoptive father.

Jules released a large breath, before he huffed loudly. His son had asked similar questions beforehand, when he was young enough to not understand why people would give him and his adopted son the dirty looks in the street whenever they had to make the occasional trip into town. "You know what, you have a nice time at the party tonight and I will tell you the answer in the morning, it'll take a long time to have this conversation. That alright with you, son?"

"Yeah, that's fine, Dad." Eddie spoke, picking up his bag and picking up his bag. All he needed now was to get himself ready for the dance, and he couldn't worry much about anything else.

 _ **-X-**_

The dance had started at around seven-thirty, and as Eddie had expected, at least one thing had gone wrong before he had left and that was the fact that he had misplaced his black tie. He had began to panic, so much so that he had received a light slap against the cheek by his father to calm him down. It was just a school dance, and Eddie was a handsome kid, so going with or without a tie was just something that wouldn't really have an effect. Eddie still had nerves, because he had been hoping that Josie would be going to the dance too. He had been planning on asking her out but the fact that he hadn't even tried talking to her about it made him worse than he should be. He had screwed himself over, and he had probably given Reggie the best chance of taking her to the dance himself.

Betty called herself an idiot, as did Archie. Jughead was too quiet to say such a blasphemous statement about himself, and Eddie would tell both Archie and Betty they were the opposite of stupid. In fact, the only stupid one in the group was Eddie.

As he parked up the Focus in the student parking lot, he could see Riverdale High dimly lit, the only light coming from the school being from the entrance hall and none of the offices or classes themselves. He noticed some other cars pulling into the lot too, but nobody who he really socialised with was there, so he walked into the school on his own. He could soon hear the dull thudding of music from the sport hall where the dance was being held and he soon had found himself in the dark, small coloured lights flying everywhere with crowds of both students and teachers present in front of a massive stage. The speakers were playing _I Took A Pill In Ibiza_ by Mike Posner, and it was almost immediately that the drum kit, keyboard and mics belonged to Josie and the Pussycats.

"She's performing..." Edward muttered to himself, quiet enough for nobody else to hear him over the thudding music. "Thank God."

That way at least Eddie knew she wouldn't have been approached by Reggie, no matter how determined he was to try and get with Josie. It was one of the fears that Eddie truly was horrified by, that she would be approached by someone else and be with them. Eddie knew she was a rather independent girl, and was most definitely the sassiest girl in the school, if not the entire town. She would shut anyone down who tried anything, and as Archie had told him, she had even shut him down when he asked for help with his own music.

Eddie knew she could be a little bit sassy, and that was fair enough. Her mother and her father as well as her had undergone a lot of threats when her mother became the mayor of Riverdale, and she still did, although not on the same scale. They adapted to being something of a delicate topic, that Mayor Sierra McCoy was the first black mayor of Riverdale in history. Eddie could understand why she was so defensive, she had every reason to when people would try to actively threaten her life and the lives of her family.

He soon noticed both Reggie and Moose Mason at the table where the drinks were, and there was a small silver glint under the lights of a small flask. Of course, those two would be spiking the punch. It was at least expected of them to keep trying it, but as soon as Eddie had tried to sweet liquid, he realised there was a noticeable tang of Southern Comfort in the punch as well. He soon caught both offenders moving away to nearer the stage, giggling like little schoolgirls when Eddie turned to look at them, before they hid the flasks in their suit jackets.

The redhead that was Cheryl Blossom soon emerged on the stage, with Josie and the Pussycats in their regular get-ups right behind. Cheryl was dressed in a stunning maple red dress, as was to be expected from someone who liked to stand out like Cheryl did. "Good evening, friends. Are we all having a good time?" She asked, with the majority of the crowd below her yelling positively in response.

She gave a small wave before speaking again. "As honorary chairperson and de-facto queen of tonight's semi-formal, it is my honour to introduce tonight's entertainment. To know them is to be obsessed with them, and though they usually perform their own material, tonight is an exception as they will be performing a cover of the song my parents claim they listened to the night Jason and I were conceived. This one is for you, Jay-Jay."

Eddie turned when he felt a small tap on his shoulder, soon being dragged by his cousin onto the dance floor, just opposite to were Betty and Archie were. The Lodge cousins soon caught sight of both Moose and Kevin rushing out to the hall as Josie began to pluck at the strings of her guitar, with her serene voice filtering through the speakers in the hill. Eddie placed his hand in Veronica's, with his other on the flat of her back. He was definitely not the best at dancing with music, not unless he was on a stage. Veronica knew this immediately, and still did this to him.

"So, not exactly like the Met, is it?" Eddie mentioned, towering over Veronica as they swayed.

"You know, I said that to Archie and Betty as we walked in." Veronica replied, a small smile on her face. "I think I could get used to it, with time."

Veronica turned her head to look at the red-haired boy and the blonde girl, holding each other in an identical manner to Eddie and Veronica. Betty had looked at Veronica as Eddie's cousin nodded and mouthed a plan of action to the blonde across the way. As both of the Lodges continued to sway, Betty looked into Archie's eyes as they gently moved from side to side in time with the music.

"So, now that you're playing varsity football and I'm a River Vixen, I've had this fantasy." Betty began, nervously. "Of us, as a power couple." She revealed, receiving a look of shock from Archie. "Or, just a couple?"

Archie was stunned. He cared about Betty, he really did, but he couldn't do this to her. He was nothing like her, and her parents absolutely despised him as he grew up. The thought of the two together. "Betty..." 

"Is that so hard and impossible to imagine? She said, her green eyes were suddenly filled with a glassy look to them, filled with hurt and pain.

To Archie, it was not hard to imagine when he had thought of it for the past few years since he had become a teenager. Betty was beautiful, blonde haired and green eyes which just spotlighted how perfect she was, both in her personality and her physical beauty. Yet, the more he thought about it, the more he couldn't inflict the pain he would do if he did go out with Betty. She was perfect, and she didn't deserve someone like him. Archie was a liar, and indecisive in what he wanted to do. He lied to his own father, how worse could he get?

Her arms slowly slipped from his shoulders, the most disappointed look in her eyes. He couldn't even look at her, otherwise he would realise how badly he had screwed up. How had he come to this? Why did Betty have to love him of all people, when he was the worst one of them all?

 _ **-X-**_

After the dance, Cheryl Blossom had messaged everyone a reminder of the after-party she would be hosting at Thorn Hill, the Blossom's ancestral home which would be empty as her parents were away for a small business trip in New York. It so happened that both Archie, Eddie, Betty and Veronica were invited, despite what had happened at the dance. Both Archie and Betty were distant on the ride over to the Gothic-built manor, which made it even more awkward for the Lodges. Edward remained somewhat talkative, trying to keep Archie talking about the Varsity Football program while Veronica silently comforted Betty in the back of the Focus. Eddie couldn't side with either, but he did feel for Betty more than Archie. He had everything going for him, and even when he had been so close to Betty did he not expect her to feel for him in that way?

Eddie would have asked Archie if he was insane, stupid or both. However, he knew that wasn't the right thing to say. Eddie wasn't stupid, and he wasn't looking for a fight either. As soon as they got out of the car, they were greeted by a wave of other kids who had arrived before they had. The group had soon found themselves sitting and standing around in the main room, with Reggie, Tina and the others. Cheryl had swapped her elegant red dress for a short strapped dress, a small silver bracelet on her wrist with red heels too.

"It's game time at Chez Blossom, kiddies. We're going old school tonight." She began. "Seven Minutes in Heaven, who wants a tryst in the closet of love first? My vote is A, for Archie."

At that moment, Edward knew that going to the house was a massive mistake. He knew right away that Cheryl was planning on messing with Betty even more than she already had been doing for years now. Eddie took a sip of his beer before trying to speak. "Archie, we need-"

"Yes, Andrews!" Reggie yelled, slapping his football buddy on the shoulder, a lot harder than usual if Archie's pained look said anything. Betty had yet to say anything else but the somewhat shocked look on both her face and Veronica's said all it needed to.

Cheryl took an empty bottle, placed it on the table and spun it around. Now Eddie was getting nervous, because he wanted to leave as much as Betty did too and was more than willing to let her go with him. Looking at the bottle, Eddie noticed the labelling that read out as 'Blossom Maple Company'. Of course, Cheryl would show off her wealth in any way possible, no matter if it was in-your-face or via subliminal messaging. As the bottle slowed down, the crowd saw the bottle pointing towards Veronica, who everyone knew as the new girl.

"It's clearly pointing to the new girl. Veronica Lodge, this should be fun." Cheryl said, almost licking her lips at the sight of the drama.

Veronica squinted at Cheryl. "Uh, I'm not doing this."

"That's up to you." Cheryl quickly shot back. "But, house rules decree the hostess gets to take your turn." 

It was at that moment that Veronica realised that going into the closet with Archie for seven minutes was better than having Cheryl going in their with him. Either way, Betty was losing out in the situation. She had her heart stomped on, and Cheryl Blossom was dancing on it's grave alongside Veronica. Eddie knew her cousin was quite a mean girl when she was in New York, from what she had said in their conversations, and she was determined to be better. Eddie remembered what a wise man had once said about going to hell with good intentions. Eddie knew that Veronica might have been lusting after his red-headed friend, even if Betty did pine for him. Eddie was her cousin, but was she would end up doing would not end well, and Eddie would gladly tell her that to her face when Betty stopped liking her all of a sudden. It was to be expected.

Eddie had also expected that eventually, Betty would want to go home when Veronica and Archie returned. Betty tapped his shoulder, and Eddie placed his beer bottle on the glass table in front of him. Eddie had the same look of disappointment she wore on the way, while Betty was beginning to tear up once more.

"Eddie, I need to go." Betty sputtered, two tears falling down her cheek. She soon stood up to leave, and Eddie would have followed her if Reggie hadn't placed his arm in front of him.

"Yo, stay and chill, Ed. No need to go chasing tonight when so many of the hotties here want to get on the guy who dropped Chuck Clayton." The Asian-American said.

"Reggie, not now." Eddie simply said, pushing past to get to Betty.

The blonde had almost ran out of the house, but Eddie soon caught up with her. He stopped her from walking all the way back home, it would not have been right to let her walk alone in the dark. Wordlessly, Eddie led her to the Focus, placing her back in the passenger seat before Eddie joined her. What Betty had noticed when Eddie turned on the engine, was that the Focus' engine sounded almost like a Mustang. It wasn't elegant, it was brash and loud, so opposite to who Edward Lodge was with her.

Her knight in shining armour, taking her home when she needed time to think. Eddie was kind enough to take her home.

As soon as they had reached Kennedy Street, Betty just got out of the car and hopped up the steps to the door. The lights were on, but nobody had answered the door when she had knocked. Eddie sat in the driver's seat of the Focus, watching her on the doorstep in the cold outside of her own house. He couldn't just watch her, he needed to do something. He turned off the engine, hopping out of the car and jumping up to Betty. He took his suit jacket off, placed it over her shoulders and knocked on the door a little bit louder than he should have done.

"You are so graceful..." Betty commented, smiling through the tears.

"Well, I am a wrestler, not a ballet dancer."

Betty laughed a little bit. "That would be something funny to see, you in a tutu."

Edward smiled, taking a step forward to Betty. She moved in too, allowing Eddie to wrap his arms around her in a firm and friendly hug. "I'll have to oblige you at some point in regards to me wearing a tutu, Betty Cooper."

"God, don't make me laugh, please." Betty said, sniffling yet also stifling a laugh. "Has anyone told you that you are too kind, you look too intimidating to be kind."

"Most people think I'm a teddy bear, aside from the people I toss around like rag dolls. You have seen me wrestle, haven't you?" Eddie asked. "I know you've seen what me and my dad get up to in the cage, and I can keenly remember you taking me down at one point."

That one little memory made Betty feel a slight bit better. It was one of the hilarious moments the two had shared, when Betty was so adamant that she could take down the towering body that was Eddie that she got up and pressed all of her weight against Eddie's leg, throwing him on to the canvas like he was the rag doll for once. Both Eddie and Betty laughed, placing their heads against the other while smiling. To anyone else, it would have looked like they were boyfriend and girlfriend, but they were anything but that.

They were best friends, and they knew that perfectly well.

"Remember, Betty." Eddie said. "Whatever happens, I will be here for you, yeah. You ever need to talk to me about Archie or Cheryl, you can talk to me. If Veronica does anything, you can tell me. It's not the end of the world."

Betty pulled away from Eddie, looking at him with her tear-streaked face. She moved closer, and pressed her lips gently to his cheek. "You really are too sweet for this town, Edward Lodge." Betty said, before Hal Cooper opened the door, allowing Betty to enter her home. Before he closed the door, he gave Eddie a dirty look, although Eddie swore he could see just a small portion of thankfulness in his eyes before the doors closed.

As he turned around and walked to his car, he saw Archie walking down the sidewalk to the house. The two acknowledged each other, but Archie soon realised that Betty was already inside. Archie looked at his best friend, as well as the blush on his cheeks too. "Really, Eddie? I thought you were better than that." Archie said, accusingly.

"I dropped her off home, Arch." Eddie spat back. "You were the one who rejected her, I did nothing wrong but do what she asked me too. Don't even try and throw this back on me."

"Yeah, sure." Archie muttered, before he turned around and walked back to his house, just next door to Betty's."

 _ **-X-**_

 _By the morning, everyone would be posting and texting about it._

 _We would all be feeling it._

 _And the world around us had changed, maybe forever. That Riverdale wasn't the same town as before. That it was a town of shadows and secrets now._

 _In the middle of the night, after the Riverdale High School Semi-Formal Dance, a secret tryst between Kevin Keller and Moose Mason in the forest would soon unleash a horrifying secret. That the body of Jason Blossom would wash up at the side of the Sweetwater River, with a bullet lodged in his forehead._

 _On that following Monday, the autopsy of Jason Blossom would take place. On the Tuesday, half-way through fifth period, the first arrest would be made._


	4. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3: The Mornings Regretted**_

When Edward had finally returned home after his heartfelt conversation with Betty, and his somewhat passive-aggressive confrontation with Archie, he had hit his bed harder than he thought. He woke up in his suit, just as he expected he would do when he went out the night before. He woke up, a small humming in his head which was amplified just a little when he groaned louder than he expected. It wasn't bad, he was the designated driver but Eddie knew he was most certainly a bit of a lightweight. He knew he couldn't handle his drink.

He turned to the night-stand on the right side of his bed, which had a small glass of water and a collection of medicinal pills just by the glass. He could remember his door was not open before he hit the bed, and it had been opened so his father must have left the glass and pills in the room when he woke up. Eddie slapped his night-stand multiple times, in an attempt to grab his half-charged phone only to find out that the time was eleven-thirty in the morning. His dad had really screwed with him, made it look like he cared with the water and pills but not bothered to wake him up at all. Eddie should have been used to his dad's shenanigans at this point, not that he did it to be mean, but that his father expected Eddie to be responsible for himself at the age he was. As much as Eddie wanted to blame his father for letting him sleep in and miss his first two classes, Eddie knew he could blame himself for drinking a little too much and staying out too late.

Obviously, he had good intentions in doing so, to make sure Betty got home safe and sound and at least was cheered up by whatever he could do on the way from the manor of Thorn Hill. Cheryl had ruined her night, which didn't help when he childhood crush had stepped into the closet for seven minutes, doing god knows what to each other. If anything, Eddie would have thought his company made it worse (his confidence hadn't been the highest as of late) but he had tried his best to be somewhat hospitable to the heartbroken girl.

"Jesus….." Eddie mumbled, pulling himself out of his bed. He realised that his life was so easy, he couldn't complain about being late to school or having a hangover.

Eddie soon walked into the walk-in wardrobe. The off-white mixed with the light beige paint had not exactly helped disinhibit his hangover symptoms. If this was what it usually felt like, especially for him, the night life of anywhere was never going to be part of the scene for him. Looking at himself in the mirror, surrounded by all of his clothes which had been shipped in from across the country upon purchase, made him think of how lucky he was even more. He was dressed in a damn Hugo Boss suit, surrounded by some of the most expensive clothing brands ever known. His shoes, a collection of reds, blues, blacks, and whites and other such colours.

He knew that the girls at school took care in their appearance, and Eddie was not in the mood for difficulty in getting dressed. Peeling off the suit jacket, pants and shirt, he looked around for a simple white tee-shirt and jeans. While his brands were displayed like trophies, the cupboards below and away from the actual pantheon of brands held his more simple clothes. Throwing his suits in the washing basket, he wandered around in his briefs before he grabbed what he needed and agonisingly put them on his person. His Sk8-Hi Pros called out to him, with Eddie easily slipping them on before grabbing his bag and leaving his room.

As he ran down the stairs and to the main hall of the forest home, Eddie fished his phone out of his pocket. A few notifications had popped up, consisting of three alarms that were meant to make sure to wake him up before he ever became late for school. One was from Betty, another from Veronica. The heiress of the Hiram Lodge had sounded rather jubilant on the phone, much more so than Eddie was at that moment. Luckily, he hadn't received a message from either Archie or Jughead about what had happened the night before.

Although he doubted Jughead we be vitriolic enough to send a message over text, Jug was best friends with Archie. The two had been practically inseparable, joined at the hip since they had first met, joined with Betty even. Their friendship group had gone from two to six in recent memory, with Kevin and Veronica joining most recently. Archie did not seem to happy with him after last night, even though all he had done was drop Betty off at home like she had asked. She must have said something to him to persuade him from stop the two from fighting.

 _Even though I would beat his ass…_

 **Betty: Hey, are you coming in today at all? XX**

 **Ronnie: You suffering from a case of drinking too much? You were always a lightweight, dear cousin… xoxo**

Sometimes Eddie wondered if Veronica was self-aware, especially since there was a time when Hermione and Hiram took both Veronica and Edward to their beautiful villa in Cyprus. When Hiram and Hermione had gone out and left Veronica and Edward on their own with a few bottles of wine and Hiram's personal Cristal champagne. Eddie had managed to section himself throughout the night, limiting himself from two to three glasses per hour. While he was in a bad shape afterwards, he was in great health compared to Veronica, who didn't leave the toilet bowl for the rest of the day.

 **Eddie L: That's rich coming from you, Ronnie. Especially after those seven minutes in a closet with Archie.**

It was when he had gotten into his car and placed his bag in the passenger seat that he realised what he had sent in the message to his cousin. Veronica could be nothing if not vindictive, especially when confronted upfront with her very own indiscretions.

 _Oh, for crying out loud…._

 _ **-X-**_

It had been around an hour later when Edward finally reached school, more so because he was procrastinating on his own lateness than actually driving quick enough to get to his lessons. Obviously it was his own fault, but that didn't stop his own teenage male instincts from just drawing out his own lateness for the sake of it. He didn't hate school, more like just mildly disliked it and some of the teachers and students there. Some were jocks and some others were just plain weird, like Dilton Doiley and his boy scouts.

 _That kid has issues…_

Walking through the halls, Eddie had been lucky enough to not encounter Principal Weatherbee or any other teacher when he was making his way through the school. As always, the school took a lot of pride in it's athletics department, more so than it's science department or mathematics department. Although Riverdale High School was also known for it's annual Winter theatre musicals, the town itself had been labelled 'The Town With Pep!' and that also meant a lot of town pep rallies, every citizen of Riverdale itself taking pride in all aspects of the town and school. The Bulldogs and River Vixens combined, were the teams that gained the most notable amount of support. After that it would be the baseball team and the wrestling team too, with the cross-country team coming last.

Nobody cared about cross-country, not in Riverdale anyway.

Escaping the halls and onto the yard, Eddie took a small while to look around to see where everyone was, eventually scoping out Veronica, Archie, Kevin and Betty by the treeline. After the night before, Eddie was surprised the blonde teenager and the redhead boy had managed to be anywhere near each other considering how much one had hurt the other. However, it seemed that the two had patched things up and were sitting together with Kevin and Veronica. However, all was not as it seemed because as soon as Eddie had made his way over to the trio, Betty had made her escape, hands covering her face, not seeing Eddie reach for her to stop her from running away. As soon as she had escaped into the safety of the school, Eddie slammed his hands into the table, glaring holes in both Archie and Veronica as he did.

"What have you done this time?" Eddie had began. "Because after last night, if you can't see what you've already done to her…."

"What we've already done to her, we haven't done anything!" Archie exclaimed. "Besides, you didn't make anything better last night!"

Eddie looked straight at the red-headed boy, almost growling and throwing himself at the boy across the table. The more he thought about it, the more he thought about hard it would be to break the guitar over his head and if it would make him see any kind of sense. He doubted it would if he couldn't even see that Betty loved him to bits. Perhaps his growing abdominal muscles had made him go blind to his own actions. "She was sad. She asked me to take her home. I did that, while you two were busy Frenching each other in a closet!"

"I saw you kiss her, you asshole!" Archie shot back, and Eddie simply replied with dumbfounded "What?"

Archie had a smug grin on his face, before he gently placed his acoustic guitar on the table in front of him, standing up to face Eddie toe-to-toe. The two were roughly the same height, and in the same weight class too due to outstanding circumstances of their sports being on at the same time, healthy weights were required for both sports teams. There was a look fire in Archie's eyes, as opposed to Eddie's having that cold and frozen look. Veronica and Kevin were both looking at their warring friends, with Veronica giving a somewhat half-hearted death glare at her cousin. The two athletes remained staring dead at each other, soon gaining the attention of the rest of the yard too, with both Reggie and Cheryl's friendship groups having their phones at the ready to film any possible violence. Drama and rumours spread fast at Riverdale High, and the only thing that spread faster than that was videos of the students trying to kick the ever-loving snot out of each other for some perceived sarcastic snipe or jealous jibe aimed at their opponent. Eddie looked around and with some of his colleagues, their phones were at the ready.

"Whatever you think you saw, if you actually think I kissed Betty last night, you are sorely mistaken, Archie." Eddie muttered, so quiet as so that only Archie could hear him. "I would not do that to you, and I would not force myself on Betty like some kind of psycho."

"I'm not lying, Eddie." Archie growled. "Just because me and Veronica were in the closet for seven minutes does not allow you to jump on to Betty as soon as she as she asks you to do something for her."

"Archie, get this into your head for Christ's sake, I did not kiss Betty. She kissed-"

"Eddie, stop-"

"Ronnie, don't you dare take his side when I haven't explained what happened."

"We went looking for her, and you." Veronica began. "We couldn't find you, so I went home and Archie saw you kissing Betty at her front door. You don't have to be ashamed of what happened, it's totally normal."

Eddie's mouth was agape. "Ashamed? Really? I don't have to be ashamed of anything, because I didn't do anything wrong! She kissed me on the cheek, and I would have said that ages ago if you had actually let me explain what had happened instead of getting in my damn grill, you idiots!"

As he spoke, Ethel soon came up to the table and looked at the group, who were in silent stasis as Eddie and Archie remained fixed on each other. Ethel gave the wrestler a tap on the shoulder, accidentally receiving part of the violent glare that had been saved up mainly for Archie. "Wha- oh, sorry Ethel. What's up?" Eddie asked, giving a half-smile to the smaller girl below him.

"Uh, hey… It's Betty, she's crying in the homeroom. Can one of you guys go and see her?" The usually-quiet girl asked.

Eddie looked at Kevin, nodding at him. "Keller, come on. We can let Veronica and Archie sort themselves, and their stories out, on their own. I don't wanna cause a scene."

Kevin quickly packed up all of his stuff, took a final bite out of his sandwich and stood up. He mouth a quick 'I'll call' to Veronica before almost being dragged away from the couple by Eddie. As they walked away out of the yard and into the school building, Eddie attempted to ignore the various looks of smugness and from the others like Reggie and Cheryl. Reggie had turned away as soon as Eddie had caught him in sight, earning a smidgen of his ire. Cheryl caught his glare as well, but instead she refused to back down and submit. Eddie knew that the remaining Blossom child was grieving, but sometimes it was as if nothing had happened to Cheryl anyway. She was the popular girl in school, always had been and always would be until she left and probably had children of her own. Obviously Eddie had been one of the more popular boys, even gaining a bit of respect when him and Chuck fought, but Veronica had made her presence and mission clear. She was the popular girl in New York, and she wanted to be that in Riverdale. Of course, that meant getting a boy toy to do some of her dirty work like Cheryl had, with Reggie and or Chuck.

She just so happened to also manipulate the kindest girl in the school, and then turn her against her for kissing the only crush she had ever had in her life. Sometimes Eddie did indeed curse his cousin, especially at that point in time. She had been the rich bitch in New York, and whilst she was apparently trying to turn over a new leaf for the sake of what had happened, it seemed she was failing in that regard so far. Eddie knew Archie might not have been academically gifted, but he at least gave Archie the benefit of common sense.

Eddie even thought of himself as a middle-of-the-road kind of person, that tried not to get involved but he didn't. Not any more. He had done nothing to anger Archie but do what Betty asked, and almost immediately Archie assumed the worst. _Hmm,_ _so much for BFFs…_

As Eddie and Kevin made their way through the halls of the school, it didn't take long until they got to the homeroom. There Betty was, crying on the couch as the sole inhabitant of the room. Kevin sat at her left while Eddie took the seat on her right. Eddie remained silent and Kevin placed his hands on her shoulder. Kevin said precious little other than stopping her sobbing and turning it into small sniffles and muffled sobs. Eddie had very little experience with crying, more so with other people's cries than his own. He had cried himself to sleep before. His own father had been the harsh hand in bringing him, as well as the gentle and caring side which Eddie would have had if he knew his mother. Having only really come to terms with not having a mother a few years ago, Eddie had kept himself to himself when the topic was brought up.

He realised that while he had no mother, he wasn't special in that case. Archie's parents had recently divorced, Jughead never said anything about his home life, Veronica had her mom but no dad and Betty seemed to be the only person that had a regular family.

The trio sat down in the homeroom for the rest of the lunch. Kevin was very kind and considerate with his best friend, whilst Eddie remained quiet as he comforted her. The blonde was heartbroken, clearly, and Archie did not see himself in the wrong at all but instead saw Eddie as the sole reason for him to be antagonistic. Eddie had surprised himself when he didn't launch himself at Archie, even if his guitar looked so enticing to smack the red-headed boy over the head with. Eddie had done nothing wrong, but obviously Eddie and Archie would not be seeing eye to eye for a while.

 _Why are you just sitting here?_ Eddie had asked himself, sectioning himself off in his head whilst Kevin and Betty conversed. _You're not offering any kind of sympathy, what if Archie was right? Are you just trying to get with Betty because she's vulnerable? That's a very dirty move there, Eddie. Would our dear father agree with what you're doing?_

 _No, but I am not trying to get with Betty or anyone at the moment. Betty's lovesick, Josie's too busy, Cheryl is just…. Cheryl is Cheryl. Romance is not on the table at the moment, Inner Eddie._

As Eddie tried to push his inner voice back to silence, he soon received a tap on the shoulder from Betty. The blonde looked at him, confused before Eddie looked at her. "Hmmm?"

"You okay? You kinda blanked on me for a second there." Betty said. "I asked if anything happened between you and Archie, Kevin said something about you two almost fighting on the yard. He sounded quite… well, excited."

Eddie sighed. "It was just a mini-pissing contest. That's all."

"Kev didn't say that."

"I think Kevin might have been distracted by all of the abs and testosterone to realise what was happening, Betty." Kevin replied. "Honestly, it was nothing."

Eddie did this, he did it a lot. He did not like being confronted by other people about conflict that was not their business. Yet, the more he thought about what had happened, he realised that Betty was a part of the conflict between him and Archie. Eddie himself worried, he worried if he wasn't seeing either Archie's or Betty's perspectives in what was happening. Archie was lying, but he didn't see anything that had happened between the two. Eddie never kissed Betty, he never would and he doubted that Betty would ever want to kiss him. She was too perfect, too much of a good thing and Eddie was too much of a recluse, a hideaway, too violent to be loved by anyone else who never would really understand him. It was just a part of the Lodge Family Tree, some just happened to be snide and sneaky. Others were blunt and aggressive, and it just so happened that Eddie shared the bluntness and aggression of his father, who had rather toned himself down in his growing age.

"If Archie said something about you, I won't mention it to anyone. I promise." Betty whispered, and Eddie soon looked around to see if anyone else was in the homeroom. Kevin had left a few minutes before, hence why Eddie had been so smarmy about his comments before.

It was just a joke anyway.

"After you went inside last night, I saw Archie before I got in my car. He saw me and apparently he saw us together, talking. According to him, it looked like I was kissing you. I tried to tell him it was you who kissed me on the cheek but it got really heated. It might have turned into a fight if we weren't careful. I think people had their phones ready and everything."

Betty sighed, wrapping her arms around Eddie's right upper arm and resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Eddie."

"It's nothing you should worry about Betty, just, try not to be so hard on Veronica." Eddie returned, his head falling to lie on Betty's. "She's trying to change, she really is. She really likes you, she wants to be friends with you. I'll try and talk to her later, and see what's happening."

"Archie's always been a little bit temperamental, ever since we were little kids." Betty mentioned, smiling a little bit as she said his name.

"I know, kinda like me."

Betty giggled again. "You and Jughead weren't that bad compared to him. We've really grown up, well, slightly."

Then it was Eddie's turn to laugh when Betty said. "You're saying that to the person who likes throwing people on the ground for fun."

Eddie received a small slap on the wrist. "It's called talent, and you're not stupid either, Eddie."

 _ **-X-**_

The Riverdale Coroner's Office had never been much of a homely place, no morgue or coroner's office would be. It was always cold, freezing and grey. The coroner that resided in Riverdale was an odd person himself and Alice Cooper knew this. If anything, as an investigative journalist she used it to her advantage. Doctor Curdle was a crooked man, and a crooked man would do anything for a few crumpled up dollars.

Besides, Alice had a job to do. She had a family to look after and feed, and if breaking the rules was the best way to get a hold of a valuable story for a few more people in town to buy the Riverdale Register or go to their website, then she would break the rules a thousand times over.

The crooked coroner welcomed the journalist inside the autopsy room, and if she were anyone else, Alice would have retched and vomited at the sight of the bloated, waterlogged body of Jason Blossom. Hints of the young boy were visible from under the plastic cover that covered his body. From what Alice could see, the young boy's skin had used to be a pale white, now a mottled grey, veins poking out faintly from under the skin. His fingers and feet had swelled up, but one could never mistake the hints of bright red hair, the signature genetic trait of the Blossom Family. She hated them, abhorred the dead boy in front of her, lying on the cold metal table. He had ruined her darling daughter, forced her to imprison Polly in the group home just out of town.

He had deserved everything that had happened to him, and it was only fair that while he ruined his daughter, somebody ruined him and hopefully forced his family to feel the same as she did sending her daughter away.

She had a tape recorder on her person, recording every word that the coroner had uttered after he had lifted the plastic cover from the body to reveal the rotting carcass of Jason Blossom.

The hole in his head said all it had needed to.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: A Single Touch of Evil**

 _I will be honest with you, because if there is one thing I can be in this godforsaken town it is honest._

 _I love Betty Cooper._

 _I do, and god forbid she ever finds out because it would genuinely ruin what we have going for us, just as friends._

 _When I was much younger, I was foolish enough to think that I could ever have someone at all, let alone someone as perfect as her. She exists in a weird vacuum where whenever she is around, everything just seems to be that much more perfect and right. To me, and probably some others, she's like the lighthouse in the middle of a violent storm that has no intention of stopping. It sounds crazy, melodramatic even and I know that but getting that off my chest feels so much better than keeping it in all day._

 _And every day that passes by, I keep it locked away inside, hoping that one day I'll just forget about it and move on with something else or somebody else in life._

 _And that thought, that one thing that I wish would just happen to me sooner rather than later, just does not seem to ever happen. It's like my very life exists to be tortured, thinking of what could happen in life and then never having it happen at all._

 _Again, I know full well I am being melodramatic._

 _But I know that I will keep my feelings to myself for as long as possible, and whilst others have caught my eye, I know that Betty Cooper will be the one that will get away. It's as if I know that she's meant for somebody else, and that while we have been extremely close as friends, neither of us have ever gone and pushed for somebody else. The more I think about it, the more I realise how different we are yet also how similar we are too. We both have extremely high expectations of us, and we most definitely come from troubled families with issues. She has a missing sister as of the summer break, I have had a missing mother since the start of my life._

 _Something like that, the loss of a sibling or the absence of a mother seems to bring people who have suffered in similar ways closer together. The way that Betty got along more with her father was just like the way that I got on with my own. Even more so, she likes cars as much as I do. I remember when I first passed my driving test, when I saw the bright blue Ford Focus RS, we spent an entire day driving and then an entire night calculating and calibrating the engine for it to run in the best way possible. We have the memories of best friends. We are best friends, and yet it's like we know we cannot be more than that._

 _It's not just us two though._

 _Archie Andrews._

 _Jughead Jones._

 _Both myself and Betty had been friends with them forever, but eventually in middle school to high school we began to split off. We were finding who we were, trying to fit in or as Jughead did it, tried his best to not fit in._

 _As a group, we were known for always hanging around and sticking up for each other. Me and Archie would always get in trouble for fighting whenever someone tried to bully Jughead because of him being somewhat of a social outcast. I'd land more hits on the bullies and Archie would take them, but damn could he take a good punch. Not like some of the bullies that went after Jughead and us two._

 _I like to think it hardened us three, and maybe Betty never paid too much attention to it._

 _Then she brings it up from time to time, just in conversation as a humorous topic. I realise that everything we were involved as kids we all saw, and when we finally got to where we are now, high school didn't tear us apart, but it drew us closer together._

 _Closer than any of us ever really expected._

 _ **-X-**_

Archie wanted, no, needed to pummel something. He hated how getting into an argument with Eddie had brought back this aggressive unstoppable fire in him, he felt himself heading to a boiling point. He could feel the heat in his chest, and he knew Eddie was feeling somewhat similar. The two had been in too many fights to not how the other felt during one, and when it was both Archie and Eddie it felt like some kind of blaze was about to erupt that might have set the whole school ablaze. Had he reacted in the right way? The red-headed boy had kept to himself on the way home, after seeing Miss Grundy he felt much better. The situation at school, involving Jason's death as well as the almost fight with Eddie, he just needed something else to think about. Anything or anyone but his friends or school would do.

Anyone but Betty, anyone but Eddie and most definitely anyone but Jughead.

He didn't want to admit it, but Archie knew he had been an asshole towards his friend. He had been an asshole to a few people in the past few days. Pushing away Betty, pushing away Jughead and fighting with Eddie had been a horrible culmination of so many events all climaxing to one horrible night at the Blossom's mansion of Thorn Hill. Cheryl had been a part of it too, ever since Jason had died she had turned into a witch straight out of _Macbeth,_ deciding that anyone and everyone could be preyed upon by her whenever she decided.

He never would have been invited to Thorn Hill if there wasn't an ulterior motive, and as Betty had once said when the news of Jason's disappearance broke out, she was in a fugue state that nobody could break her out of. That becoming the devil of Riverdale High School and Riverdale itself had now become Cheryl Blossom's official occupation, terrorising everyone she could.

As Archie arrived back at his house, he opened the door and was immediately spotted by his dog, Vegas. The golden retriever ran at his young owner, leaping on his chest just as Archie threw his bag on the stairs to catch him. His father was milling about in the kitchen, armed with a spatula as he viciously attacked the frying pan, littered with half-forming eggs. Archie could hear the familiar popping as the eggs had began to form, and soon walked into the kitchen, with Vegas following him. His father did not turn, instead focusing on the eggs.

Fred Andrews had never been a man to be trifled with, both as a man and as a citizen of Riverdale. The only time he had ever really left the town was when he went into the United States mighty army, having a distinguished career as a Captain, who served with his men. His half-slicked mane of brown hair allowed him to retain a portion of his youth, but the wrinkles around his eyes and his growing lumberjack beard had clearly made the man look a lot more intimidating than many other men in Riverdale. Remaining focused on his eggs, the senior Andrews man spoke first.

"So, where'd you run off to last night?"

Archie stumbled in his mind, fumbling for the right words. "Y-you heard me go out last night?"

Fred snickered quietly, wiping his hands of the excess oil. "I've been hearing you sneak out since you were eight years old, going out to Jughead's tree house."

Archie looked down at the floor, not wanting to look into his father's eyes. "I couldn't sleep. I just, went for a jog to tire myself out."

 _Why am I lying to him?_ Archie thought. _He's doing everything for me, pushing me to be the best I can be and here I am lying to him. What kind of son am I?_

"You got something on your mind?" His father asked.

Archie was silent for a few moments, thinking of everything that was on his mind. How should he approach it with him, would his dad even want to hear about his problems? How could the subject even be broached, because Archie knew he could not tell his father everything. There were things he could think of that had happened since the summer holiday had finished that he would not tell his dad, lest he find himself grounded and most likely taken out of school due to the amount of negligence the school would be pressured to address.

"Just this whole… thing with Jason Blossom. You know? It's put me on edge." Archie replied, lifting his head to look at his father. "It's just that, one day I saw him at Pop's with Cheryl and then the next he's in a body bag on Sweetwater River. It's messed up."

"I know, kid." Fred grumbled, placing a firm hand on his son's shoulders. Archie straightened almost immediately. "Look, you'll get through this, but for now, no more midnight runs. Not until Sheriff Keller catches the guy who did this, okay?"

"Okay, dad." Archie confirmed, before turning foot and moving to get his bag and go upstairs.

Fred turned back to the stove and oven, and could see his eggs had just finished. They had not been spoiled at all, and looked positively scrumptious.

The army veteran sighed. "I swear to God, this town..."

 _ **-X-**_

Betty had been keeping to herself since lunch had turned into shambles of an almost diabolic nature. She thought that she could just forego whatever her mother said, that she would look at Archie the day after and everything would be okay, as if nothing had ever happened.

She was wrong, she was so so wrong that it hurt just thinking about how wrong she was.

The moment that she had sat down with Archie, Veronica and Kevin she knew she was breaking apart inside. That what had happened the night before was not just some mere fracturing of the blissful idea that she held in her head but the outright destruction of such. Archie didn't love her in the way that she wished he did, the way that she wanted him too for so many years. Maybe she should have asked before then, asked him instead of waiting for him to take notice of her. She thought to herself that how couldn't he have seen the signs of such obvious affection?

Yet, it seemed like nothing had ever been spotted by the red-headed boy of her dreams and it didn't seem like he cared either.

Betty could not even find some solace in her parents, they were too worried about the breaking news that was now directly in their grasp. They ran the Riverdale Register, the only newspaper in the town that bothered to report on the smallest events in their no-longer-idyllic town. The last time a murder had occurred was almost four generations back for Betty, when Cheryl Blossom's great-grandfather killed her own great-grandfather. It was something that her father took very seriously, and Betty had the sneaking suspicion that he would hate the Blossom Family until his dying breath.

She had been writing in her own little diary when, like clockwork, her parents barged into her room.

Her father, Hal, spoke first. "Hey, honey. We just wanted you to know there's gonna be a few late nights for us." The broad-shouldered patriarch spoke.

"There's actually gonna be a lot of late nights for us. I mean an accidental drowning, who cares? But the death of the sociopathic son of the richest family in town murdered, now that is a national obsession waiting to happen." Spoke Alice, once again groomed to perfection.

Hal sighed. "The kid is barely in his grave, Alice."

"Can you wait in the car, Hal, I'll be right down."

Without muttering another word, Hal turned around and walked out of the house. Betty sat up, closing her diary and placing it on her night stand. Her mother soon took the position of the diary, quickly and without affection she clamped her hand over Betty's. She no longer held herself above her daughter, not like she did with her husband but instead crooked her neck and looked at Betty dead in the eyes. "You know what I love about you, Betty? Is that you always like to see the good in people. Even people like Cheryl Blossom, Veronica Lodge and those two tempestuous boys that you're friends with..."

"You mean Eddie and Archie?"

"Yes, Edward Lodge and Archie Andrews. When they betrayed you this weekend, you saw their true colours didn't you?" Alice asked, almost glaring through her daughter.

"Yeah, I did, Mom." Betty whispered, looking down at her mother's hand over her own.

"So no back-sliding." Alice stated bluntly. "No Cheryl, No Veronica, No Edward and most definitely no Archie."

 _Yeah, Mom. That isn't going to be happening any time soon…_

 _ **-X-**_

When it came to the town of Riverdale, there were two sides of it, one which people loved and which people vilified.

Like an English football derby match, The North Side and the South Side hated each other with a passion, each representing what the other hated. The North hated the violence and gangs, the South hated the North's sense of entitlement and wealth, everything that they never had and wouldn't have.

Jughead Jones was like that too, people either loved him or hated him. He was an enigma, something that many others in the town could not attest to being as well. Instead of joining the local gangs, he worked to go to a decent school. He was everything that both sides hated, because he had every aspect that both sides hated. Needless to say, it garnered him a lot of attention in the town, mainly because the sight of a pale boy in a crown-style beanie and black denim jacket was one that many didn't see in Riverdale. The pale red under his eyes and the milky white skin almost made him look like a junkie-Dracula hybrid that nobody in their right mind would associate with lest they risk being having their blood-sucked by the teenager.

Fortunately, it wasn't bloodsucking that was Jughead's favourite past time, it was discovering secrets that the town like to keep hidden away. The little black book that was his mind was filled with dirty little secrets that nobody would ever want leaked to the news or placed around town strategically to destroy their reputation.

That, or having the son of the leader of Southside Serpents not like you was great way to make enemies.

So Jughead sat at the bottom of the stairs, and when Archie came back from the corner store, Jughead stood to face his former friend. "I saw you." He began. "In the music room, with Miss Grundy."

"Keep your voice down, my dad is in there!" Archie shuddered, quickly advancing on Jughead.

"I'm trying to help you, dude. I'm trying to be your friend here, even though we're not any more. How long, you and Grundy?" Jughead asked, crossing his arms as he looked at the red-head.

Archie remained silent, looking down at the sidewalk before looking back up at Jughead. "Since this summer." He admitted.

Jughead didn't say a word, but his eyes remained fixed on the Varsity football player. He was once friends with Archie, would have stood by him in a fight any day of the week if push came to shove like he and Eddie had done for him. They had planned a road trip around the states, saved money up for the event and it had been cancelled last minute. Jughead had only found out that day, seeing Archie and the pretty predator that was Miss Grundy having a moment in the music tutoring room. It was totally by chance that he knew, but now Jughead knew why the trip was cancelled.

"I like her." Archie stated, with Jughead mouthing a muted 'oh my god'.

"So I'm guessing she's the reason you've been acting weird since summer?"

"One of them." Archie said.

"One of them, there's more?" Jughead spoke, eyes squinting at the boy in front of him, beckoning for more details.

Archie sighed again, advancing up the stairs to his house where he now stood tall over Jughead. "Me and Miss Grundy were at Sweetwater River on July the fourth."

It was as if the light in Jughead's eyes dimmed, and his mouth was agape with his former friend's admissions. He must have known something about what happened to Jason, and yet he had not told anyone about what had happened. Jughead had already reasoned it was the predatory music maestro that was Miss Grundy that had pressured her into keeping him quiet, for her own safety. Again, Jughead reasoned that she probably never cared about Archie. She never would, she was like every other criminal. Cold and uncaring, like many of the people that Jughead was familiar with back home.

"We heard a gunshot, the gunshot."

"Dude, you have to tell someone." The beanie-wearing boy implored. "You have to tell someone."

"I can't, and neither can you. If people find out about me and Miss Grundy..."

"A kid is dead, Archie! And you're worried about some, some, cougar!"

Jughead felt Archie's coarse hands against his chest, pushing him away from himself and his house. "Hey, don't call her that! She's not like that, she cares about me."

"Stab in the dark," Jughead started, "I'm guessing she's more worried about herself, she's the one telling you not to say anything, right? Look, I saw you guys. She's messing with you, she's messing with your mind and you know it!"

What had hurt the most wasn't that Archie didn't side with Grundy, Jughead could live with that at least for a little while until the two maybe made up. What angered Jughead the most was the fact that Archie could not see what he saw, that Archie could not see the fact that Miss Grundy was him as a tool to block herself from the blinding light that was focused on Jason and Cheryl Blossom. What Archie was saying, it was speech that had been manipulated by an evil woman, a predator who preyed upon the good friend that used to be Archie Andrews. Jughead might not have been the nicest person, and he never claimed to be a good person or some sort of hero. He was a true neutral, in all matters of conflict, he might have considered himself to be Swiss. He was just a narrator of events. Yet, Archie might have been his friend and he needed him to see that Grundy was not good for him, not good for anyone.

Archie growled. "What the hell do you know about it, Jughead? Or about me, even?"

Archie glared at Jughead, while the smaller boy snickered. "Nothing, but I used to know this guy once. Archie Andrews, who wasn't perfect but he always tried to do the right thing at least."

"Jug..." Archie muttered, grabbing him by the arm. "If you tell anyone about this..."

Jughead stared down Archie, grabbing his hand and taking it off his arm. "What? What are you gonna do?"

In their moment of silence and half-forming confrontation, the sound of the door opening spared them from such an event. Mister Andrews had came outside to see what the commotion was about, to see both his son and his son's best friend staring down each other. "Hey, Jug! You coming in? We got takeout from Pop's."

"He was just leaving, Dad." Archie spoke, before Jughead could get a word in edgeways.

With that, Jughead looked at the boy in front of him one more time. Archie had changed, he had changed from the kind boy that Jughead used to be friends with. That person wasn't there any more, but Jughead could see through the facade he was putting on show, trying to be that tough guy. He didn't see tough, he saw someone under pressure.

He saw Archie being preyed upon.

 _ **-X-**_

The next day had started like any other day, little conflict in the morning as everyone was far too tired to do anything at school. It was as the day began to drag, as the sun lowered and the midday point was reached where tensions had began to rise like they always did at this time of day.

It was common knowledge that since Jason's body was found, that many students and teachers were being interviewed by the Sheriff and the Police for potential motives for the murder of Jason, but so far nobody had said anything. The latest student to be interviewed was Reggie Mantle, another star player of the Riverdale Bulldogs football team. Like every other player on the team, Reggie was very well-built and extremely tall compared to some others, standing at six foot four where he played in the full-back position. The Asian-American student came from a well-off North Side family, which was no surprise and he acted like it too. He had an air of superiority about him, and it rubbed many (as well as Eddie) up the wrong way more often than not.

That day was one of those days were Reggie had began to really amplify the attitude.

Reggie was sat in the green leather chair of the common room. "They were questioning me!" He shouted. "Me! Mantle the Magnificent! Would I really kill Jason, I liked the guy, liked his sister too, but he was the best Quarterback we had on our team too. Like I would kill him..." 

Veronica had been sat in the chair next to him, reading a novella whilst Reggie complained of his situation mere minutes ago. Moose was standing behind him whilst Kevin and Betty were sat on the couch to the right of Reggie. Jughead had been listening to the taller boy rage whilst Eddie and Archie had steered well away from each other, with Eddie veering towards Jughead whilst Archie sat on the arm of Veronica's chair, settling in as he listened to his football partner.

"Speaking of defensive tight-ends, I should have sent the cops to you, Moose." Reggie smirked. "Because here's another unsolved mystery, what exactly were you and Kevin doing at the riverbed when you two found Jason's body, huh? Or does being with the Sheriff's son give you a free pass?" He asked, looking directly at Kevin and Betty.

Eddie took a deep breath and sighed, readying himself for another rant from Reggie whilst Betty and Kevin whispered mutterings before Reggie began again with his speech.

A speech that soon rapidly twisted into an allegation of murder. An inaccurate speculation of who really killed Jason Blossom.

"I mean, lets think about it, lets really think about it. If a kid at Riverdale High did kill Jason, it was never gonna be a jock, right?" The jocks nodded. "No, lets be honest. Isn't it always some spooky, scrawny, pathetic internet troll too busy writing his manifesto to get laid? Some smug, moody, serial killer fanboy freak. Like Jughead! What was it like Suicide Squad, when you killed Jason? You didn't do anything with the body, did you, like, after?"

The jock's accusation had merely gained an annoyed stare from Jughead, his arms crossed as his beanie sat firmly on his head. Archie had reluctantly moved to get something from the vending machine, which would no longer take the one dollar note he was forcefully shoving into the machine's maw. He had not bothered to look at his former friend since the argument they had the night before, and it seemed they wouldn't do so today either.

Jughead smirked. "It's called necrophilia, Reggie. Can you spell it?"

Reggie growled and got up, almost charging to the lonesome teen. "Come here, you little freak!"

Eddie was about to get in between the two before Archie had done so, his varsity jacket making him look like a yellow blur that stopped the full-back from pummelling Jughead. "Shut the hell up, Reggie." Archie stated, looking up to the taller student.

The duo had caught the attention of everyone inside the common room, almost ready for another confrontation in the school that would be spread amongst the different year groups for the next few weeks or months, depending on how vicious the fight would be. Reggie was taller and much more stockier than Archie, but Archie could take a punch, and everyone had known that since grade school. Reggie was a blow-hard and he always had been, the difference was that at their age, anything of the sort caused a lot of fights.

"Get out of the way, Andrews."

"No, Reggie, leave him alone."

Reggie took a step back and then his eyes widened. "Holy crap. Did you and Donnie Darko kill Jason together? Was it some sort of pervy, blood brothers kind of thing?"

With that, Archie shoved Reggie away from him as the Asian boy began to get into his face. Jughead's eyes widened as the two jocks began to fight. Reggie grimaced as he quickly shoved Archie into the vending machine, sending the glass screen of the machine into the floor to shatter into pieces. Veronica soon stood, up as did Kevin and Betty and everyone else in the room before Reggie grabbed Archie by the coat and flung him to the ground, dragging himself down too. Archie tried to get up, but Reggie was quicker, climbing atop the red-head and punching him square in the face. Before he could do so multiple times, Eddie had already leapt into action, dropping his bag and tackling Reggie to the floor once more. If Archie had gone down fighting to protect Jughead, then Eddie could only do the same for Archie. The trio weren't even friends any more and yet they found each other fighting for one another when the chips were down and Reggie Mantle was trying to brawl with them.

It was just their luck that Eddie knew how to brawl with the best of them.

As soon as Eddie had tackled Reggie to the floor, Jughead and Moose had managed to pull Archie up from the floor, a black mark beginning to underline his left eye. Reggie had attempted to do what he had done previously and roll onto Eddie to get into the full mount position. That way he could have pummelled Eddie like he had done to Archie, but Eddie knew better. Eddie rolled the opposite way, quickly finding his feet before Reggie did so too and grabbed him by the waist and tackled Eddie into the nearby wall. The collision of the two large boys cracked the plaster of the walls as Reggie threw two punches to Eddie's stomach, which Eddie had soon replied with a swift knee to the chest as he wrapped his arm around Reggie's neck. The trio of prized sports members had all but started a brawl on the day of the pep rally, and with no teacher in sight it seemed that it would go on until one of them dropped.

Eddie's grip hadn't been as on point as it should have been, and Reggie soon took advantage of this, managing to get around to Eddie's back and putting him into a headlock. Using the front of his chest, Eddie leant forward and with the combined weight of both himself and Reggie on his back, took the fight back down to the floor. The two scrambled for the advantage, which soon ended as Eddie had wrapped himself around Reggie's back and put him into a rear naked choke.

Reggie fought, trying to hit Eddie but not succeeding. That was until Principal Weatherbee had walked in on the commotion and could see the three boys who had been involved in the fight still on the floor. His presence had almost immediately silence the room, and the two prize-fighters had immediately let go of each other when they set their eyes on the principal. The two students got up and almost immediately knew that they would be dragged into Weatherbee's office. Betty had already picked up Eddie's satchel and was stood next to Kevin as Jughead picked Archie up and leant him against the nearby desktop.

"Eddie, you..."

Kevin stopped her before she said anything else. "Keep hold of the bag, he'll be back later, Betty. Besides, he'll thank you later."

"Yeah, but..."

"No buts. He'll be fine for a few minutes."

 _ **-X-**_

"I will not have two of my best sports members from the football and the wrestling teams be fighting in the common room!" Weatherbee shouted. "This is Riverdale High School, this is not the South Side where you can brawl in the streets like it is nothing!" 

Whilst Principal Weatherbee was usually a rather quiet and somewhat benevolent figure of the school, angering him was usually a mistake that most did not want to make. The balding elderly man had a serious undertone under the rather comical appearance. Some students would say they could see their reflections due to how shiny the principal's head was, but focusing on the man's baldness during one of his angry rants after a fight or issue was an action that all did not dare do lest they risk his anger even more than they already had done to get them into the position of having him shout in the first place.

"Now, what happened in the common room during recess. Both of you will give your recollections individually." Weatherbee stated. "Mister Mantle, speak."

"Archie..."

"Archie Andrews?" Weatherbee questioned.

"Yeah, Archie pushed me into the vending machine and dragged me to the floor so I punched him in the face. Then Eddie tackled me and kicked me in the chest. Then you walked in, sir."

Reggie smiled as he recanted his false testimony, looking at Eddie as soon as he finished with a smile. Eddie grimaced and didn't even bother looking at his fellow pupil, instead focusing on the principal. "With all due respect, Principal Weatherbee, Reggie's lying."

Reggie grumbled. "It's not a lie, sir."

"Mister Mantle, you have told your story, let Mister Lodge tell his." Weatherbee ordered. "Mister Lodge, please continue."

"Reggie was complaining about Sheriff Keller was questioning people on the sports teams. Then he accused Moose of hiding something because he was with Kevin Keller. Then he started accusing Jughead of killing Jason, then accusing Jughead and Archie of killing him. Reggie got up in Archie's face so he pushed him away, Reggie pushed Archie into the vendor and then punched him. I tackled Reggie and then that's when you came in." 

"That is such bull-"

"Enough!" Weatherbee shouted, calming the two boys. "From what I am hearing, it is juvenile aggravation at best. Mister Mantle, this is a delicate matter and you should not be making undue accusations against anyone, regardless of who they are. Mister Lodge, you should know better after your own incident with Chuck Clayton last year. I am telling the both of you now, any more of this and I will suspend the both of you from school indefinitely. Have I made myself clear?

"Yes, sir." The two boys replied.

"Good, now get out."

 _ **-**_ _ **X-**_

It was a relatively cold and windy night for the pep rally, but it was none the less a time where the inhabitants of the North Side all got together to celebrate the next generation of the town's young sportsmen and women. The school's jazz orchestra were playing their hearts' out as the trumpets blared across the field. The parents and siblings had arrived early, just as everything had started and the stage had been set. The keyboard and drums for Josie and the Pussycats had been set on their too, ready for when the town's own celebrities came to play as the Bulldogs made their official appearance for the start of the year. Of course, the cheerleaders had been out since the start, performing all of their routines whilst some of the sports members were running around frantically looking for other members.

And that included both Archie and Edward, as they stood off the pitch with Jughead. For the first time since the summer, they had actually managed to message each other without insulting one or the other. The fight had, like most other times, had brought them back together. If anything, the fight with Reggie had made them feel like friends for the first time in what had felt like years. The trio found themselves just sitting on a tree whilst the cheerleaders continued their routines, the three boys talking to each other in a cautious and wary tone.

The subject of Miss Grundy was brought up amongst the three, with Jughead quickly filling Eddie in on what had happened between Archie and Miss Grundy.

"You realise that what she is doing is illegal, right? She's a predator, Archie." Eddie spoke, pulling the down the zip on his jacket to expose himself a little more to the cold wind of the night.

Archie sighed. "Look, me and Jughead have had this conversation already and I know. I like her, and I think she likes me too."

"Whether you like her or not, it's not right..." 

"I know it's not right, Eddie." Archie replied. "Look, Cheryl's under a lot of suspicion and she's telling the truth. I heard a gunshot too, I heard the gunshot that killed Jason and I'm going to tell the Sheriff and the Principal tomorrow."

Eddie and Jughead and Archie all smiled. They had all been friends for as long as they could remember and them being torn apart by something like the murder of a student and a predator acting as a teacher made them feel rather inadequate and useless as friends. How they had even managed to start arguing and split apart was a question that had been asked by many around the school. If Jason hadn't died and Veronica hadn't arrived, perhaps it would have been the talk of the school but for their own sake, they were glad it wasn't.

Archie was the first to speak again. "Look, are we all okay? Are we all friends?"

"I'd say so, yeah." Eddie agreed.

"It's a matter of discussion." Jughead muttered.

"So that's a yes." Eddie spoke.

"It's a matter of discussion, a discussion to be had over many milkshakes and many burgers." Jughead spoke. "But yeah, I'd say we're friends."

The three boys placed their hands in between each other, and a small whisper of 'Wildcats!' may or may not have been heard between them before Jughead made his exit. Pep rallies were not his thing and Archie and Eddie soon had to join their respective teams for the coming event. Josie McCoy and the two Pussycats, Val and Mel had took their places next to the keyboard and drums respectively. Josie's voice echoed through the football field, The Pussycats' rendition of 'Sugar Sugar' being played as the cheerleaders created their pyramid as the football, baseball and wrestling teams charged through, tearing through a school banner to their adoring parents and siblings standing to the side. Mayor Sierra McCoy was stood with Coach Clayton and Principal Weatherbee, proud smiles on their faces as the trio at the back of the stage watched on.

It was as if the town had recovered already.

It was as if nothing had ever happened.

 _ **-X-**_

 _I had been a little more sceptical, if I am going to be honest. I didn't believe Archie's story, about him really liking the music teacher who preyed upon him._

 _It just seemed too rehearsed, too mechanical. It was not something somebody would say if they really did like her, the explanation of what had happened from both Archie and Jughead was more than enough to make a confirmed decision on what was going to be happening. Jughead had made his own opinion known, as did Eddie and Archie continued with his own rhetoric that he would do what he needed to do. He was going to pull Cheryl out of the frying pan, and make sure Grundy was kept out of said pan as well._

 _But at this point, I did not intervene, I trusted Archie for some reason, hoping that he would do what was right. Looking back, it feels stupid that I didn't intervene at all. He was being preyed upon, he was one of my best friends and I didn't do anything at all._

 _But then again, we were young. We were stupid and we did stupid things._

 _We had went to Pop's as soon as the rally had finished. Veronica and Betty had already taken their booth, sitting together and laughing like what had happened a few nights before had been patched up and fixed. We soon entered and Jughead finally introduced himself to Veronica. Jughead Jones the Third crawled into a space next to Betty, whilst Archie and myself took the seats opposite Betty, Veronica and Jughead._

 _I think about it more now, about what we were like when we were younger._

 _I, Edward Lodge, the boy without a mother was exactly like Jughead and Archie. We all missed something in life that could have made it infinitely better._

 _Archie, his mother had just separated from his father, leaving him in Riverdale._

 _We never knew Jughead's personal life, he never talked about it._

 _The more I think about, there were really for of us there that night._

 _Archie, Betty, Veronica and myself._

 _Jughead was there, always present and observing like he did._

 _But then it never mattered._

 _We were friends._

 _ **-X-**_

 _ **YEAH YEAH I KNOW ITS LATE**_

 _ **WRITERS BLOCK, LIFE, STUDYING IT HURTS AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH**_

 _ **I PROMISE THE NEXT ONE WILL BE SOON I PROMISE PLEASE DONT HURT MEEEEEEEEEEE.**_

 _ **-An Old Boy-**_


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Variety is the Spice of Life**

 _There comes a time, that in all of our lives, that we need a change._

 _Variety is the spice of life, some would say._

 _Usually I would agree with that little saying, because sometimes trying something new can bring out the best in us as people. That maybe the time we break the mould, is the time where we can reach new heights and become better._

 _Note that I said the word 'usually'._

 _This was one of those times that I really did not agree with that saying._

 _Gaining reputation through fights was something that I did not particularly fancy happening. I was attached to the idea that I was a good kid, one that paid attention in class and could do no wrong unless forced into the situation of doing it to protect myself. That's why I took fighting to a mature level, why my father built an octagonal cage inside his home for me. Wrestling was my passion, as much as it was for others, but it was different for me. Sometimes wrestling was not enough, sometimes the dirty work had to be done by someone._

 _It was a shame._

 _A shame that my fighting had gotten me the reputation of a troublemaker, of someone who was prone to getting into fights with others at a moments notice due to my fights with Chuck Clayton, little skirmishes by any measure. He was the one person who I abhorred in the entire school._

 _He was the typical douchebag, the big guy that picked on the little kid and got away with it. He was a star sportsman, like myself, like Reggie and Archie. What made it worse? He was the son of the Varsity Coach, and that meant those detentions didn't mean shit for us._

 _Those detentions, the method of punishment for us didn't mean shit. He got away with everything, picking on new students with his gaggle of goons like he was John D. Rockefeller. If anything he was the student of the high castle, untouchable._

 _Chuck Clayton was the devil incarnate, Satan residing in the cold pits of the ninth circle of hell itself._

 _Where he belonged._

 _Of course, we never got along. He wanted to be captain of the wrestling team, as did I and that meant a challenge for him and for me. It was only last year when I think back on the fight itself, and the run-up to the thing. It was like any other tournament for the captaincy. There was a lot of pressure, tension that was released on the pat in the roughest of ways that could have perhaps been a little bit nicer._

 _The quarter finals were even easier than I thought. Myself, Clayton, Nick Hernandez, Jimmy Kitts, Desmond Way and Ollie Robbins._

 _The semis, for one person, were easier than the other._

 _Chuck Clayton versus the skinny kid that was Jimmy Kitts._

 _For me it was the brick shithouse that was Nick Hernandez, one that really took it out of me. One that made me possibly regret going for the captaincy. An improper armbar which (according to the doctor) almost snapped my arm in half after the match. A few days later, me and Chuck had finally decided to announce the finale and the decider of the tournament would happen in the next two weeks, on the Friday when the after school club for the wrestling team was usually on. It was when I realised that there was no teacher what was happening._

 _It was a cage fight, without the cage. We went at it like we were just rabid dogs, fighting for the last scrap of meat in the pile. It wasn't just wrestling, it was full-on, no holds barred combat. We were actually fighting. It was Chuck's straight left out of nowhere that started it._

 _I can remember the first few punches to the stomach that Chuck threw, the leg kicks that hurt for weeks after so I couldn't walk. I can remember the uppercut that almost knocked me out. I can remember how Chuck almost won the match._

 _It was sly elbow across his eye that had gotten him off of me, how two more elbows was enough to get me back on my feet and back in the fight. I remember tackling him just as he got up, a double-leg takedown to the side control position, grabbed him and put him into a reverse armbar. I won it, even if we did both get suspended for fighting after school on their property._

 _I can still remember the time when Coach Leary gave me the captaincy._

 _ **-X-**_

Left, Right, Left.

Left, Right, Left.

Left, Right Left.

It was a simple routine, and it was one that Eddie had always gone over at the start of a routine. A simple one-two-three combination of punches that could easily knock someone out if put in the right place. All it needed was the coordination to be dangerous and bang! Three slick punches to the face, a man was down and then the match was one. It just so happened that the simple combination that Eddie Lodge was thinking of was seeming to become a more noticeable tapping sound in the middle of his English class. The book in front of him was leaving him with blanks, nothing in his head was worth writing down and all that he could think of was a fight. Not with anyone in particular, but he felt something inside of his being that was screaming, calling for blood to be spilt in any way possible.

"Mister Lodge, stop tapping the table and begin writing. You have twenty minutes of class left." Mister Loutermilch spoke, glaring at him from behind thick-rimmed glasses.

"Sorry, sir."

The tapping had stopped, and all Eddie could find himself doing for those twenty minutes was going over two words in his copy of _The Great Gatsby_ with a highlighter. The white pages were soon darkened, the black font that uttered 'old sport' to him were covered with layers of orange that soon begin to flood the lines below. The thick pages had began to feel a little softer, and after the extended highlighting of 'old sport' even felt damp as if the pen was about to go through the page at any moment.

 _Why am I blanking? This should be easy? What the hell is going on with me right now?_

The bell rang loudly, and soon Eddie had flung his pens and book into his brown leather satchel and fled the class. He didn't run, but he wished he had done as soon as he reached the toilet. Again, all he could think of was that combination of Left, Right Left. His blood was pumping through his veins and he knew something was wrong. He never felt like this, and it felt wrong. He didn't like fighting, he didn't think of punching people in class. It was an instinct that kicked as soon as he was in his wrestling gear or in the cage with his dad. No, something was definitely wrong.

Rolling up his sleeves, Eddie turned the taps on and brushed his face with a deluge of cold water. It was positively chilling, and that rush of blood turned to ice. He didn't know what was happening, but he soon thought of what could have been causing what was happening. The adrenaline, the love of the fight and it was scaring him. He felt it in a fight, like how he never really noticed how badly he had been hurt until the fight was well and truly over. How he would never notice the bruising over his liver until he had taken a small nap, how his knuckles would hurt and begin to swell more afterwards as well.

 _Adrenaline…_

The taps soon stopped, and Eddie soon wiped himself down with a few paper towels before he looked at himself in the mirror. He had nothing to think about, nothing that was really causing him any stress (bar the obvious adrenaline issue). His eyes were not bloodshot, he didn't look pale but he felt ill and out of place in his own head.

"Come on, Edward." He spoke to his reflection in the mirror. "Get a hold of yourself, man. You're a Lodge, you're a good kid and you're a tough bastard. You'll be fine, come on. You can do this." He gave himself a harsh slap across the face, soon reddening his cheek.

He splashed himself with more water, and soon reached for more towels. His face was dry, still red but he felt a little calmer than he was before. The bottle of water in his bag was a tempting treat, one that he would have to use sparingly through his day because going home early was a good way of getting his dad on his case. He'd get through it, he'd just need to talk to his dad later about what had happened. Eddie just hoped that it would not become more of a problem throughout the day, he didn't need it, he did not need it at all.

As soon as he left the restroom, he had to wipe his eyes before he looked at what had past him. Cheryl Blossom had been taken down the hallway, her pale hands chained up in steel cuffs with Sheriff Keller and Principal Weatherbee at her left and right. Still somewhat drowsy, Eddie just managed to say:

"Cheryl?"

Her skin was as white as the driven snow, contrasting brightly with the bright red shirt and black skirt that was on display. Her bright red hair was almost reflecting off the walls, as was the crimson red of her lipstick. As much as she never showed it, she looked like the damsel in distress in her hour of need. The fact that she had even turned to look at him as soon as he had uttered her name had either made his cheeks redden because of how stunning she was, or the fact that he was used to her glaring through him that made him go pale. It was the dilemma of about five seconds, because once more Eddie was put into the position of just burying the hidden childhood crush he had on Cheryl Blossom for good, or for sympathising with her in her time of need after the loss of a sibling.

The word itself sounded like nothing to Eddie, but it did clearly sound like something to Keller and Weatherbee. The two turned and while Keller tried to pull Cheryl forward, the trio had stopped dead in the hallway. "Mister Lodge, why are you not in class?" Weatherbee asked.

"Ummm, I wasn't feeling too good sir." Eddie muttered. Looking at Cheryl, he could see something that resembled sadness in her eyes, for the first time he had seen it in a while. "Why is Cheryl in handcuffs, sir?"

"That is none of your business, Mister Lodge now get to class." Weatherbee ordered with a stern glare, and Eddie had soon followed the older man's instructions.

 _ **-X-**_

The group had been sat in the common room during their free lessons, pondering on what had happened in their biology class. Eddie had soon gathered from what Jughead said that it sounded like Cheryl had said 'I'm guilty' as soon as Weatherbee and Sheriff Keller had walked through the door. It didn't look good for her at all, and soon after they noted that Cheryl was not present for the remainder of the day up until their lesson-free time had begun. The speculation had already begun, as to how or why Cheryl might have killed her brother.

"Twincest." Mantle said aloud. "They had a really close relationship. It was fuckin' weird man, telling you. They were never far from each other. Maybe she wanted more and Jason, as he should have been, was freaked by it. He told her to get away from him and when they went boating, she shot him in the head!"

"Dude," Eddie had said. "That's sick."

"Yeah, whatever, but it could be! It's like Game of Thrones gone sexual gone wrong bro! Am I right or am I right?" Mantle exclaimed.

"You're wrong, Reggie. She wouldn't do that."

"Whatever bro, you had a crush on her sixth you first laid eyes on her, you're opinion has bias up the ass."

Eddie sighed and went back to finding solace in the can of Pepsi in his hand. Talking to Reggie after the fight was either extremely easy or like pulling teeth. The triple threat of Archie, Eddie and Reggie had come to terms with the fact that they had overreacted just a little bit with the fight and were on somewhat friendly terms. The footballer and the wrestler soon made peace and had began to theorise what had happened since Cheryl had left class, and clearly 'twincest' was a theory that was quite popular, according to Reggie. Some others, including Eddie, had decided that the theory didn't exactly hold up to even the smallest amount of scrutiny.

"Cheryl loved Jason, but not like that. One, it's sick and two, I'm pretty sure Cheryl is well aware of the social implication of being incestuous." Veronica muttered from her spot next to her cousin. "Leave the thinking to the girls, Mantle, you look better that way."

"I can take my shirt off, if that would be any better?" Reggie offered, eyebrows rising and lowering quickly.

Veronica laughed and merely shook her head in response. No words were uttered but Veronica Lodge had just quickly cut one of the Riverdale Bulldogs down to size in two seconds flat. Eddie had noticed that she had not lost the attitude of a rich bitch from New York just yet. She still had the Manhattan fire about her, something about her that could tame a wild boy in one glance. She was educated and an erudite, yet gave off the feelings that she was less than such. She led those idiotic thugs in with the looks and made them her own.

Even thinking about New York made Eddie think of the obvious, how his uncle was now in prison for fraud and embezzlement. Hiram Lodge had always been a naturally smart and successful person, but as Eddie had grown up there was something indicative of his second father figure's more vindictive nature. His constant comings-and-goings left much to be desired from him as a father, but from what he had heard from his own father figure was that he was a very shrewd and powerful and especially persuasive corporate big boss.

As his father Jules put it, he was on the top-level of the Fortune 500 list.

He was supreme.

"Look, all I am saying is that we can't just rule Cheryl out because she is Jason's brother. Shit's happened before man, it's creepy as shit." Reggie grumbled. "Besides, who else would it be?"

"Maybe one of the gangsters on the South Side? Who knows, maybe Jason just got caught up in something, got shot and they dumped the body in the Sweetwater River. It could have just been an accident and people are scared. Murder doesn't happen in Riverdale, it just.. doesn't." Eddie stated, and it was the truth.

For as long as everyone in school could remember, from when they could comprehend the world around them, Riverdale had been a town of good and purity. It was a town that was far enough away from New York that it didn't have the influence of the big city and it didn't attract the criminality of the Big Apple either. It was small and close-together, everyone knew everyone, and nobody would dare to even try to attack someone lest they found themselves being excluded from social gatherings around the neighbourhood itself. This didn't apply to ninety-nine percent of the town's inhabitants, only Alice Cooper, who had made it her and her husband's job to be the town's professional snoopers with their newspaper, _The Riverdale Register._

Eddie sighed. "Look, can we change the subject? We shouldn't have to talk about who killed Jason every day, somebody must have some news or something?"

Betty clearly didn't hear her friend, as she had continued her own conversation with Kevin. "My mom keeps on publishing hit-pieces on the Blossoms, I tried telling her to stop but since she published the autopsy on Jason she's been on a… a rampage!"

"Cooper, did you literally not just hear what Lodge said?" Mantle asked, his arms raised in the air in their exaggeration.

At the mention of Lodge, Veronica's head soon perked up. "Somebody mention Lodge?"

"Oh my god..." Reggie mumbled.

"Look, can we just not talk about Jason and Cheryl? Please? This place is called the common room, not the Blossom room!" Eddie exclaimed, finally broken. "Let's talk about something different, what we got going on at the weekend, guys? Anything?"

"Football, obviously." Reggie muttered. "Like always."

"Same here." Archie responded. "Football and music."

"Hey, I have got a wonderful idea! Keeping in theme of the murder..." Kevin began.

"Kevin, what did I just say?"

"I know, but why don't we just re-binge Making a Murderer on Netflix this weekend? My dad said he'll be working late all night, focusing on suspects. Apparently we're all suspects according to him."

Loudly slamming the cover of her book down, Veronica once again made her presence known. "Not me, girl. I wasn't even here. Besides, can't do this weekend anyway."

 _Of course not, Veronica. You're too perfect to hang out with the rest of us, aren't you?_

Veronica had soon placed her copy of Capote's _In Cold Blood_ in her black and gold Versace handbag. Her black dress that rested upon her shoulders had two little pieces of fabric that clung to the back of her dress like a superhero's cape (obviously before she was caught by the wind and thrown into the air) but her extravagant taste was only matched by Cheryl's obsession with the colour red. Everybody else did not seem to care, for they all looked mismatched, bar Betty who wore a light shade of pink on a consistent basis. Those three almost personified the town, in just the colours they wore. Cheryl embodied the exotic, the uniqueness of the town itself. Veronica in it's recently discovered dark heart, and Betty in the town's friendly reputation and well-known demeanour. After all, Riverdale was known for being the town with pep.

The boys did not echo such specific qualities of the town, instead just ranging generally from the nice to weird to the downright horrible. Of course, not every boy was in one of those categories but a large majority of them fit into them. Archie was the wholesome boy next door, the type of guy that every girl and guy (because nobody judged in Riverdale) would want to be with because of how kind and respectable he was. The Andrews boy was just one of those figures in town that gained attention because of their work, especially Archie and Fred. Jughead was the kid that nobody associated with by choice and without choice. He was just different in comparison to everyone else, as if he had always been aware that Riverdale was hiding something from it's own inhabitants and now he had been proven correct after waiting for so long.

Eddie himself was a mystery, and even he blatantly admitted it. He was a wild card, the joker in the pack that did not have a place anywhere. He didn't know his own family, and the only real family he had was the one that took them in by necessity, by not wanting to be the people that would let a young baby boy die of exposure in the cold American winter.

Life was just a bit too much of a conundrum from time to time for Eddie to really comprehend how lucky he really was.

"Why, what are you doing?" Eddie asked. "What is so important that you wouldn't want to go on another binge session inspired by the death of a fellow classmate?" He repeated, looking at Kevin with a blank stare.

"I..." Veronica trailed off before restarting. "have a date this weekend."

As soon as she had uttered the sentence, her beau for the weekend had made himself known to the rest of the group. A mountain of a boy that stood up at six foot five and weighed in at two-hundred and thirty pounds on a good day, his chocolate coloured skin making him standout from the crowd footballers and wrestlers around him. Hazel eyes which held an intense burning in them, with black hair cut to the bone. He was as well-kept as Eddie's Ford Focus, and that was saying a lot considering the blue hatchback barely had a speck of dirt on it's body.

It was Chuck Clayton.

"Hey, V-Lo, it alright if I pick you up at seven?" The tallest boy in school questioned.

"Sure, Chuck, I'll see you then."

As soon as Chuck had left the room, with his own cronies behind him, Chuck and Betty were already on the case.

"Chuck Clayton." Said Betty.

"You're going on a date with Chuck Clayton?" Kevin looked to Veronica, and then to Edward. "Are you sure that is a good idea? He's the varsity coach's son, here that's like… dating a Kennedy!"

Veronica smiled, turning to look at Eddie who almost looked as if every vein in his body was about to burst in spectacular nuclear fire. His skin was as pale as the white shirt he wore that day, but his cheeks had already began to glow red. However, they didn't glow with affection, but with fury and hate for who Veronica had found a weekend companion in. Kevin pursed his lips as Eddie remained silent, and the sheriff's son took a long hard glance at his friend before realising that no words would be coming out of his mouth for a little while longer.

"It's just a date, a singular date that may or may mean everything or nothing. We shall see, is all I am going to say." Veronica spoke, a lilting smile on her face as she looked at her cousin. "I do not want a chaperone, Edward."

"I never offered, Veronica." Eddie muttered. "Not that there is much to see when it comes to him."

The older and taller Lodge reached into his bag to get his bottle of water, sipping lightly to cool his nerves in the most literal sense of the word. His cousin had an odd ability to both annoy him and endear herself to him, it made Eddie both love her as his cousin and hate her as the opposite to himself. She was the popular rich girl who had nothing else to lose, whilst he was the boy who despite having those same riches, had worked for what he wanted because his father was not one to shower money on him like Hiram Lodge was for Veronica.

"You see, this is why I didn't tell him until now. He turns into a grumpy old man." Veronica revealed. "I happen to think Chuck is just like any other boy in the school, from what I have seen and heard."

"He's as boring as the students you would date at Spence, he just doesn't have the bank account, Veronica. There is literally nothing special about him other than the fact that he is worse than Reggie when it comes to being a player." Eddie replied, still sipping at the water.

Betty's eyes shed sympathy for Eddie as she looked at him, and soon back to her raven-haired friend. "Eddie isn't wrong, Veronica. Chuck has a reputation, he is a bit of a player here in Riverdale."

"Look, you guys do not need to worry about me right now. If worst comes to worst, I will let him down gently." Veronica said, holding her head up high and mightily. "Besides, I have dealt with far worse than him."

Eddie shook his head and lent back into his armchair, affixing the lid to his bottle of water which he desperately clung to in his left hand.

"Then it's your funeral, Ronnie."

 _ **-X-**_

As soon as Veronica had gotten home, the plan was to prepare for her upcoming battle. She needed to look alluring, she needed to look spectacular, and she needed to show that she could stand out from the crowd. Chuck Clayton had something that a lot of the other guys she had dated back in New York didn't have, and that was some actual charisma. He oozed charm, he oozed perfection and that just appealed to everything Veronica had needed for a while now. All that she needed now was for him to actually be able to hold a conversation.

"Veronica, are you home?" Her mother had shouted from the door into their hotel room. "Ronnie?"

"I'm here, Mom!" She shouted back as she dived right back into her wardrobe.

Veronica's door had opened and her mother had soon entered, in her white and yellow chequered waitress dress, a white apron wrapped around her waist. She had immediately joined her daughter's side, and was looking at the horde of clothing that occupied the space in her daughter's closet. Her mother had apparently looked exactly like her back when she was the same age as Veronica, but whilst she had lost the youthful vigour she had obtained a very mature and professional side as she married Hiram Lodge. She was his wife, as well as his own business partner. Yet she had always kept herself available for her daughter, in case a situation came up where she really needed an anchor in the world where she could find a safe place. Hermione Lodge would not be an absent mother, not to her baby.

She refused to lower herself to such a standard, to give away a child to somebody more responsible they were. She felt for her nephew, the boy had no motherly figure but she at least found solace that her brother-in-law made sure Edward lived a comfortable life.

"So, who's your date?" Her mother asked.

"A Mister Chuck Clayton."

Hermione sighed. Julian had told her of the fight that had happened between her daughter's date and her nephew and from the description, it sounded like some kind of illegal cockfighting ring. The pair had really hurt each other and Hermione had to wonder if her daughter knew what she was doing. Her daughter had an eye for boys weaker than her, boys she could use and then throw away like some unwanted toy or a Christmas sweater. That she was going with a jock, one who could easily be an equal worried Hermione a lot.

Hermione reached deep into the closet, and pulled out a sleek and short black dress, with a black denim coat after it. "Black is much more your colour, _Hija."_ Hermione said, as her daughter smiled at her.

" _Gracias, Madre."_

 _ **-X-**_

That Saturday, Veronica had felt a lot of anticipation for the first time in a while. New York was her home, and it always would be, but the boys there were such bores. They were all as rich as her, they were always skinny and lanky, and they liked to focus on themselves. They offered nothing of interest to Veronica, at least nothing that interested her enough to continue seeing them as a possible significant other. No, she had thrown them aside like the privileged trash they were, and she continued on her way to the next boy.

She was used to the smooth cream leather of a Rolls-Royce or a Bentley, and not the rough and tumble feeling of the pick-up truck that Chuck had picked her up in. She was not expecting an Aston Martin, but it made no real difference to her. It was just a car, it was the boy inside that mattered more. She didn't care about his history with Eddie, but instead she wanted to distance herself from it, from him. They may have been close before, and he was still her cousin, but they were just too different to hang around each other on a constant basis.

They both knew this, but what Veronica was doing now had most certainly angered him even more so than when him and Archie had their small rivalry since the school semi-formal dance. He hated Chuck with a passion, and she could see why but that was him, not her.

They had soon parked up at Pop's, the truck's low rumbling being cut completely as Chuck turned to Veronica. "I'm sorry this ain't the Bellagio, Vee."

"Oh, stop. Since I arrived this place might as well be the closest place to it, and I spend most of my time here anyway. It's a nice place, you big hunk." Veronica replied, pursing her lips. "Selfie?"

"Sure."

Veronica handed her phone to the boy next to her, who soon outstretched his arm and pouted like he thought he was a model. Ten more attempts later, and five minutes of Veronica deciding which one to upload and send to her date, and then they were back to talking.

"You know, you are totally different than what I thought you'd be." Proclaimed the young football prodigy. "Former It Girl from New York, fresh off a fall from grace and related to Edward, I assumed you'd hate me and be high maintenance. Tell me, what do you miss most about home?"

Veronica took a solitary moment to ponder his question. "Everything. I forgot how exhausting it is to be the new kid."

"Try being the kid who's dad just started being the new teacher, and the new coach for the football team." Chuck said, smirking.

Veronica shuffled, readjusting the cuffs on her jacket. "Well, from an outsider's view, you have more than proved yourself but raised the bar for everyone around you. Varsity football, Notre Dame, high aspirations, oh yes you have been gifted with opportunity, handsome."

Chuck continued to smirk as the new girl complimented him. "You sure you're Eddie's cousin?"

"Sadly, I am."

Chuck sighed, but ended it with a smile as he stared deep into the Latin American beauty next to him. "How the hell am I gonna handle you, huh?"

"I'm betting you can handle it." Veronica all but purred, closing the gap between the two as Chuck lowered his head closer and closer to hers.

 **- _X-_**

"So, how was the date with Chuck last night?" Kevin had asked, and it had been the first thing he had spoke to her about since he had first set eyes on her that morning.

Veronica sighed. "Look, Chuck has muscles for days but his conversation skills are not even close to Oscar Wilde or even Emily Bronte."

It was not long before their conversation had been muted by the presence of Eddie, silently making his way to his locker past Veronica, Kevin and Betty who had also asked about her date with the aspiring footballer. Veronica had pulled out her phone and showed her two friends the selfie of her and Chuck, taken mere moments before they had kissed. At first, she had thought there was something there, but after two hours of extended conversation with him she realised she was horribly mistaken.

"Yeah, he was boring but he did not seem as bad as Eddie said he was." Veronica said, turning to her cousin. Eddie had placed his head inside the locker and pulled two bottles of water out and placed them back in his bag. "Did you hear me, Edward Lodge, not bad at all."

"Yeah, whatever, give it a day or two and then you'll realise..."

Kevin's eyes widened, and soon he had pulled Betty aside and whispered to the blonde whilst Veronica had began to look deep into her cousin's eyes with a newly found curiosity. "What do you mean?"

Two girls, who Veronica had seen hanging around Cheryl had been the first one to interrupt their conversation:

"Hey, Veronica, how was your Sticky Maple with Chuck last night?"

 _ **-X-**_

 _ **I'm coming back into the swing of things now, aren't I? I just needed to get my head in the game again. No surprise there.**_

 _ **-An Old Boy**_


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Triple Trouble**

"No, wait, Ronnie!"

"No way in hell am I going to let him get away with this!"

"Veronica stop, this isn't going to go how you think it is going to go."

It was possibly the worst way to start the morning, having to physically grab his cousin and almost slam her into the lockers because of how hot-blooded she was. She got it from her mother, but it was more from her father. Even though Hiram was a very calm and collected person, it was those traits had not passed down to his successor. Veronica was much more temperamental and fiery, which hadn't changed since Eddie had last seen her. She could cat-fight and demand whatever she wanted from people like she had done it since life immemorial.

"Look, getting into a fight with Ginger and Tina is not going to get you anywhere." Eddie muttered. "Besides, you can handle people trying to walk all over you. Don't break down in front of them and try to claw their damn eyes out, Ronnie!"

"How can they do that, how could just stand there and not even tell me what was going to happen?" Veronica replied. "You're meant to look after me, I'm your cousin! I'm your family!"

"Then you should have listened to me every time Chuck Clayton comes up in conversation. I have told you how much of a scummy bastard he is! You should have listened!"

It was her own fault, she knew it and so did Eddie. Betty and Kevin had said barely anything about it, but they knew well enough that Chuck was not the best person to be trying to date at Riverdale High. Eddie had made his caution of the varsity jock well announced, as well as Betty and Kevin mentioning to their friend that Chuck was extremely infamous for being a player throughout their school. Veronica wanted to play with fire and that was what she had gotten. She had wanted to stick her hand in the oven, so it was no surprise she had gotten burnt.

Eddie thought she could have done better, but clearly not.

To him, it was just apparent that maybe his cousin was not as smart as she liked to think she was. Maybe she just liked getting demoralised and shamed, only to come back from the ashes a little while later to get her revenge.

Veronica began to breath, her eyes closed as she focused only on herself as Eddie dropped his hands from his shoulders. "You should have known better, Veronica. You should have listened to me, every time he came up as a subject."

"But, I don't get why you didn't tell me why he does this to girls, why he did it to me?" Veronica begged for another answer to her question. "We are family, we are meant to look after each other."

Eddie sighed, before he stared at his cousin. "I am not your babysitter, Veronica Lodge. You are more than capable of looking after yourself and you know it. You are not some defenceless damsel in distress who need a knight in shining armour to come and save her! You are a grown-up!" 

It was when he felt the harsh sting of his cousin's open palm against his cheek when he knew his point had been made. Of course, physical violence would not have been his first answer when it came to response to what he was saying but he wouldn't blame her for it. She was angry and that was perfectly understandable. Sometimes anger just needed to be let out in the quickest way possible and receiving a slap from Veronica was perhaps one of the more shameful things that had happened to Eddie in a very long time.

"Veronica, look, it's just a Riverdale thing! It's happened to almost every girl in school!" Kevin tried to reassure her.

"No, Kevin! It's a slut-shaming thing, and excuse me if I do not want to be called a slut, or shamed by excuse me, Chuck Clayton!" Veronica had exclaimed before making her exit.

It was as soon as Kevin, Betty and Veronica had made their exit that Cheryl had soon arrived on the scene. She had regained her composure from when Eddie had last seen her, being dragged away by the police and Principal Weatherbee and then immediately after, apparently her own parents forcing her back into the Gothic horror-show that was their mansion home, Thornhill. Of course, dressed in her signature cherry red, she made her way towards the only other boy in the corridor, immediately placing her cold pale hand on his cheek.

"Edward Lodge, which criminal even dared to lay a hand on those cheekbones?" Cheryl just uttered. "You can tell Cheryl Blossom anything, Edward."

"I don't think I can Cheryl, I might just have to..." Eddie thought about what he was about to say. _No, no, don't say you'd_ _have to_ _kill her, bad idea._ "Who knows, you might end up telling every cheerleader and Josie about every little secret I have. That is a risk I won't take."

Cheryl pursed her lips and playfully scowled at the taller boy in front her, hand still on his glowing red cheek. "Such a shame. But you still have not told me who made that cheek as red as my hair. Tell all."

Eddie grimaced. "Veronica."

Cheryl made a small series of tuts. "Oh my, that fiery little girl has no idea what she is doing when she is angry. Seems dating Chuck has turned her against you, doesn't it, Edward?"

Edward grumbled and grunted, making unintelligible sounds as Cheryl soon adjusted her hand to raise his chin up to make him eye-level with her. Her red hair had began to shine in the school's extra-bright lights on the roof. Even the make-up and clothes she wore did everything to accentuate every little dash of red that she wore on her person. She was the most popular girl in the entire school, and now that popularity was soon mixed with that extra layer of mystery with what had happened with her now-deceased brother. For someone who had just suffered a massive tragedy, it damn sure didn't look like she was grieving. It looked like she was thriving on all of the extra attention that she was receiving since they had all arrived back from their summer holidays. It felt more suspicious than anything.

Maybe it was his own thoughts, influencing on how he would process the grief that he had never had the opportunity to feel at all. He had never lost anybody to anything before, he was more fortunate in that regard. He didn't even have to worry about losing the mother that he never really knew, let alone even thought about. He had gone through the motherless breakdowns before, fixed by the manly talks that patched every empty feeling he had ever had with his father's words. That he would not show weakness, that he would not allow the disadvantages of not having a mother influence his own abilities that he had worked so hard for, that he would not allow the hole left behind by his useless mother affect him as a person. How it wouldn't affect him from doing the right thing.

"She's just..."

"Angry? Aren't we all from time to time?" Cheryl asked. "You, Edward Lodge, definitely are angry a lot of the time. I have seen it, and I can feel it too. I could see it in you when you saw me being taken by Sheriff Keller. You can't even deny it."

 _No, no, no. You do not bring that up now, stop it. Stop that, don't unravel that little thread, nobody needs to go there. It just doesn't help anyone, if anything it would make things worse. Let us leave me being angry back at home, not here in the hallway._

"It's honestly nothing. You do not need to worry your pretty little head about me being all angst-ridden and aggressive with people. You of all people do not need to worry." Eddie replied. "Besides, I don't think I was that angry when I saw you that day. I was quite calm if I am going to be honest with you, Cheryl."

Cheryl raised her perfect eyebrows. "You are a terrible liar, Edward Lodge. I can see through you like a window pane. You're a piece of work." Her phone buzzed. "You might want to go to the boy's changing room, seems your fire-starter cousin has started world war three."

 _ **-X-**_

"You're not exactly virgin-territory after your closet date with Andrews."

"Okay that is not even relevant to the discussion. Chuck, you are not allowed to humiliate any girl under any circumstances you… jerk!" Betty gasped, focusing entirely on the shirtless jocks in front of her.

Veronica had been on the warpath as soon as she had left the vicinity of her cousin. She was absolutely furious, so much to the point where she had slapped Eddie hard across the face and had already made her way towards the boy's changing rooms in her fury and aggression. She would not be shamed by anyone, she outright refused to be the victim in her first few weeks at the school since she had left New York. Nobody had ever even attempted to try and take down her reputation before, trying to demoralise her and shame her for being what, being with that one guy on one date?

Her mind was racing to conclusions, sprinting full pelt back to that night where she thought she had done everything right and done nothing wrong. She kissed him yes, but it was just one kiss before they went into Pop's, and that was all she had done. She was not just some girl who dropped her pants at the sight of a guy. No, she had class. Yet, that one picture she had with Chuck Clayton had been sullied with the filter of maple syrup running down her face, Chuck's face unedited and unmolested by the filter.

"Look, I know you're not a closet kind of girl Cooper but if you wanna ride the Chuck-wagon that can be arranged." Clayton spoke, licking his lips at the sight of the blonde girl next to Veronica.

"Let me make this simple so that your simple football-damaged half-brain can realise this." Veronica began. "Take. It. Down. Now."

Chuck raised his head and then lowered it to make himself level with Veronica. "Yeah, that high-tone, bitch attitude might have worked on the betas in New York. But you're in Riverdale, Bulldog territory. What are you gonna do, get your daddy? Get your cousin?" He mocked.

"She doesn't need something bad to happen to her, to make me want to kick your ass, Clayton."

"Finally! The man of the hour!"

Eddie had made his way through the groups of boys throughout the changing room, soon finding Chuck dressed in his boxer shorts whilst behind him were some other members of the Riverdale Bulldogs. He could see Archie observing for a wild second before turning and leaving to get out of the scenario. He was already in enough trouble, and making his way out was probably the wise move. Either way, Eddie was not known much for his wise moves and he could already feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he got closer to Chuck. Betty and Veronica had soon moved to the side, as the two muscular boys already began their metaphorical weigh-in and the literal stare-down.

"You know, your cousin is one hell of a looker." Chuck laughed. "I mean, looking at you, I wonder if she even is your cousin? Is she, Eddie, or do you just say that so you can act like her little bitch because you can't f-"

Eddie had already launched himself forward with a hard elbow, smacking against Chuck's face like a cinder block. It was a cheap shot but it was well-deserved and he had been needing an excuse to hit someone that wasn't his dad for a while. Grabbing Chuck and throwing him against the nearby locker, Eddie just about managed almost throwing the footballer into the little blonde girl that was Betty Cooper. Eddie held Chuck against the locker for a moment, sneering at him like a rabid dog. "I'll let that one go, Eddie."

"Why, because you know you'd get your ass handed to you?" Veronica asked, stepping up next to her cousin.

"Shut up, Ronnie." Eddie growled. "I'm feeling kind. I don't wanna kick your ass in front of all the guys but I will if I have to. Take the picture down."

"No."

Eddie raised his fist.

"Do it, big guy. You sucker-punched me and you couldn't even knock me out. The picture is staying up." Chuck grinned. "But, I'll give you another fight, if that's what you want."

Betty and Veronica had soon left, as soon as Coach Clayton had made sure the girls had left. He had all but dragged the boys into his office to give them the biggest dressing-down they had both received. The two boys were not reprimanded but were instead told to keep their rivalry between themselves. The two boys grimaced and left, with Eddie leaving the dressing room while Chuck continued to get dressed. All Eddie could mutter was a curse as they left.

 _ **-X-**_

"I can't believe that this has even happened, it's just wrong! We can't even do anything, Weatherbee won't ever admit that something like this happened at school, so what the hell are we meant to do?" Betty said, wiping away dust in the school newspaper room.

The Blue and Gold had been the Riverdale High School's own little newspaper since the beginning of the school's existence. Of course, nobody had really cared about the paper for ages since the computers that were still in the room were almost relics of a by-gone age. Why Betty had chosen that room for their meeting had been more than a mystery that Eddie had wanted to find the answer too. He had seen Jughead walk out of the room, like a man with a mission and said precious little to him since Jug said little to anyone anyway.

"Well, go independent." Eddie said, gaining a confused look from his blonde companion. "What, we don't need the school to tell us something is wrong for us to admit that something's wrong. If the teacher's aren't doing anything, we at least should try to do something."

The room was covered in dust, and in the corner of the rooms were cobwebs with little spiders crawling through the silk strings had drawn a quick glance from the two teen trespassers before they refocused on the other. Eddie had set his satchel aside and realised that they were going to be late to class if they meandered in the newspaper room for any longer. "Look, Betty, I've got Psychology last and I can't miss any more classes. Principal Weatherbee wants my head as it is with my fight with Reggie, and my Dad will have my ass if I miss any more classes anyway. I need to go." Eddie stated, quickly readjusting the strap over his shoulder and turned to leave before Betty called to him once more.

"I asked Weatherbee if I could interview some possible writers and editors for the newspaper. I gave him a list and he accepted that some might be late. Please, stay."

Eddie turned and sighed, looking at the lithe girl behind him. There was something about her that gave off the vibes that she was so innocent that anything that was being considered in either of their minds was already out of the question and that they should have just gone to the Principal already and told him about what had happened to Veronica. Except that was also out of the issue because Veronica wanted to solve it in a way that ended it permanently and did not get the entire school after her because she snitched on Chuck for a bad evening gone worse. For Eddie, it was not something he wanted to get himself involved any deeper in, but the way that Betty looked at him with her bright green eyes beckoned to him in a way that touched something deep within him, something Eddie hesitated to call a soul. He hesitated because he knew some girls had the innocent exterior and could be darker than any other, mainly the one South Side girl who took an interest in him over the summer, who had the look of an innocent Catholic girl and then could just switch to the biker girl that had Eddie wrapped around her finger for the whole summer before she found someone else.

 _Yeah, she doesn't need to know about that. Nobody needs to know about what we get up to in the summer holidays…._

Eddie took a few small breaths and took the bag strap from his shoulder, once again resting his satchel against the desk and looking at his friend. "So, what are you suggesting we do then?" Eddie asked. "Because it seems like nobody will talk about this other than Vee."

"I called a meeting before lunch break started and I got to speaking with some other girls who had been through this. Ethel, Tina, obviously Veronica was there too. No surprise when Cheryl made a surprise appearance to mock us all in our attempt to gain some closure on this. Apparently there is a record room on the second floor of the school where the Bulldogs keep a record book of everyone they, everyone that they..."

"Pull the Sticky Maple on." Eddie finished for her. "So, you want to break into the records room? Right now?"

Betty wrapped her hands around back. "I was thinking of coming in later tonight and then getting it when nobody would be in."

"So you want to add a breaking and entering charge onto the charge of theft for stealing a book. I don't fancy breaking into school when I could be doing something more valuable with my time. Let's just get over and done with now."

The school bell rang for the second time, signalling that classes had now began and everyone was busy with whatever tasks they would be given in their set lessons. Betty gave Eddie a small look of uncertainty. Her plan was to wait till night fell, to think some more about what she was going to do before she actually gathered her allies and went to break into the school. The more she thought about it, it was probably best if she went now with less people. There was no roaming guard, and the pair had a good reason to be out of class if they were caught on the way to or from the records room. The room itself was nothing but a cupboard with a few drawers filled with files. That, and Chuck was nothing if not eccentric when it came to his own acts when in front of people or when it came to his own privacies.

Chuck Clayton stood out, and Eddie had no doubt that what they would be looking for would stand out just as much as Chuck did. "Did anyone else say anything, like is it just Chuck that is involved or is it anyone else on the football team? Or any other sports team? If it's just Chuck doing this, we need to make sure that it is. If it isn't, we need to make sure that everyone else involved is also put into the slammer with him. We don't want anyone getting into trouble when they shouldn't, or avoiding it altogether."

"Okay…." Betty wondered about the plan, and then took the bobby pin from her back pocket. "Let's just get this done with, and hopefully not get caught."

As Betty went past him, Eddie caught her by the hand. "Hey, we won't get caught, okay?"

Betty gave a small smile to her friend, and continued on her way out of the newspaper room and marched her way to the nearest staircase. Every student knew where it was because they had all at one point been appointed the cursed station of 'Student Receptionist' and been allowed to miss a day of lessons, if only to be forced to run errands for the school's boring-as-hell reception staff. Not that they didn't appreciate missing lessons, it was just that they could have been doing something else than sitting in one place for an entire doing nothing but messing on a computer and sneaking a look at other students' timetables. The occasional errand required a few runs to the record room to find some obsolete piece of paper that just needed the quick glance over before being thrown into the paper shredder.

Jogging up the stairs, Eddie kept an eye out for any member of staff that could have been patrolling the halls if they needed a few more resources for their lesson. There was always a small possibility that a teacher could just walk around the corner as Betty led Eddie to the records room. She looked at the door, and then realised that the door was easily just pushed forward. Walking into the almost microscopic room, Betty began tearing her way through the file cabinets until she found a brown leather-bound book. Opening the book, her eyes widened before she stormed out of the room and slammed the door. Eddie quickly pushed his companion forward before a teacher investigated the commotion as they soon ran towards the Blue and Gold newspaper with their new reading material for the time being.

"Betty, are you okay?" Eddie said. "Betty, speak to me. What's in the book?"

Betty remained silent, her hand forging through the air and directed the book at Eddie for him to read. The young man took the book and began to go through the pages, each light paper sheet having pencil and pen marks of how Chuck Clayton, as well as Streaky Shore and Yancy Beckett had a hand in giving out Sticky Maples like candy to every girl that would give them a chance at a date. Reggie Mantle and Moose Mason were in their too, and Eddie already realised that there was something fishy going on when he saw Moose's name. Moose had been with Midge Klump for a few months, they were on and off a lot of the time but it was not a simple freak-in-the-sheets incident like what Chuck and the others were looking for. If anything, it looked as if they added people for added competition because his name was in the book too.

 _I have nothing to do with this… this is just fucking wrong! How could they do this, if this gets found then almost every boy in the school might as well give themselves an expelling right now…_

It was when he had that realisation about what was happening in the school, was also when he noticed that Jason Blossom's name was in the book too, just below Chuck's many adventures, with Jason's name right next to the almost illegible scrawl that read:

'Polly Cooper – Shy and reserved – 9 points'

'Veronica Lodge – New Girl – 9 points'

'Ethel Muggs – Big Girl – 7.5 points'

Eddie closed the book, he knew what the rest of the pages would look like, and he didn't need to read any more to know what was going on behind the scenes in the football team. The book said all that it needed to say, the school's reputation was going to be tarnished for the months to come. Riverdale High held itself as a prime example of what a high school should be, while it's nearby competitor South Side High was an example of the opposite. From what Eddie had heard, there was apparently a crack lab in the basement there.

"They didn't even bother to hide it, anybody could have went in there and seen it." Betty managed to mutter. "I can't even believe it, my mom was right."

"What do you mean, Betty?" Eddie asked, slapping the book on the desk next to his satchel.

"She was right, about Polly and Jason. That he was evil, that he mistreated Polly and that book is proof of it! Jason, Cheryl, The Blossom Family, they are all evil..."

Eddie sighed, picking up the book and handing it back to his blonde compatriot. "Read the second page, seventh row down and tell me if everyone in that book is all involved with Chuck and his goon squad gang of Yancy and Streaky. Just read it and then look at me."

Betty sighed, looking at the leather book. After finding it, she now regretted even opening the damned book. It was like some kind of hellish high school Necronomicon, but eventually she opened the book to the page which Eddie requested and read through the columns of names. Her eyes widened just like they did when she first set her eyes on the book. "You're…."

"Yes, I am in the book too."

"You dated Tomoko Yoshida?"

"Betty, I swear I told you this last year."

"I… I suppose I just forgot. I mean, it wasn't a long relationship, was it?"

Eddie sighed, before laughing as he took a chair and sat next to his closest friend. "Oh, Betty. To think we've been friends for so long and we barely pay attention to what we do in our spare time..." Eddie muttered, reading through the names of the book.

 _ **-X-**_

As soon as the day had ended, Jughead had made his way to Pop's. It was just to get some lunch and continue writing his novel, which just so happened to be about a murder in an idyllic little town when a young teen is found dead in the nearby river.

He would have been lying if he didn't take some inspiration from nearby events.

It was on his way through the car park that he noticed one of Dilton Doiley's Boy Scouts going into the diner with his father. The one person nobody had bothered to talk about on the date of Jason's disappearance was Dilton Doiley, the leader of Riverdale's Scouts. Jughead had previously questioned him in front of the scouts, but since Doiley had been so uncooperative in the day, it seemed appropriate that the outcast that Jughead was could focus on the other outcasts that followed Doiley, the leader of Riverdale outcasts. Those that were from the North Side anyway. Sliding his hair behind his ear, Jughead readjusted the shoulder strap of his bag and then entered the diner. He soon took his seat and took note of where the scout was sat. Pop Tate soon slid past his table and took his regular order, some coffee and a burger with an order of fries. The order was soon completed, with Jughead's coffee and sustenance placed right next to his laptop while he waited for the right opportunity to get to the scout.

Jughead nodded along to some of the old-school records that were playing as he waited, and since it seemed the father and son were taking their time with their food, Jughead began to go through his previously written chapters in a vain attempt to find out if he had made any mistake in his writings. He had a few notes he needed to go over, notes he would need to make for every chapter he wrote but that was a small order for a book that he was trying to write with no creative oversight. This was his manuscript, and he'd edit it himself if he had to.

As soon as the father had left, Jughead had jumped at the opportunity to interview the scout. As soon as the man had gone into the restroom, Jughead leapt into the seat across from the scout and had robbed the cherry right from the top of the boy's milkshake. Jughead propped his left leg atop his right and gazed at the boy in front of him. "I saw you staring at me at school. You're in Grizzly Scout training. You're hiding something, and don't lie. I already know you are."

As he waited for the scout to answer, Jughead took a spoon and dunked it into the ice cream atop the milkshake and took out a chunk. "It's Scout Master Doiley, he's lying."

"About what?" Jughead muttered, taking another chunk out of the confection-like drink.

"The gunshot. There was a gunshot on July the Fourth, Archie Andrews mentioned it when he went to the Principal. It was Scout Master Doiley, he was showing us how to shoot targets."

Jughead looked dead at the scout next to him. "Dilton Doiley shot the gun on July the fourth?"

"He's a hardcore survivalist! He says if we won't protect ourselves, nobody will!"

Jughead stuck the spoon back into the milkshake. "Tell Doiley to meet me at the Blue and Gold offices when he can, and tell him it's serious."

 _ **-X-**_

 **Betty: Meet me at Ethel's Place, like, right now handsome x**

 **Eddie: Wait, wot**

 **Betty: Get over here, quick, cutie xx**

"Dad, I'm going to see Betty!"

"Get back before eleven or that car is mine for a month!"

"Yessir!"

It had been in amazing haste that Eddie managed to get dressed as quickly as he did, throwing on a black and white Henley shirt, black jeans and a pair of Adidas sneakers which he didn't particularly care to worry about what actual design they were. Whatever had provoked the messages from Betty of all people. Jumping into the Focus, he had shot off to Ethel's little modern home and soon parked up at the front. Knocking on the door, it was soon opened by an almost-naked Betty Cooper. A black bob wig covered her usual blonde ponytail, no shirt but a black bra and a short skirt keeping her decent.

Eddie turned his face to the side, hand to the side so he didn't peek. "Umm, Betty…."

"What's wrong, handsome, am I not pretty enough for you?"

Eddie could feel Betty's hand cover his own, pulling it back down and then her hand twisting his head to look at her. He always knew that Betty was beautiful, but it was in that innocent way that she kept herself to herself and was a bookish and somewhat shy girl. Looking at her now, he would have to go back on his own words and looking at her in the bra and wig, it just made him reconsider his own definition of confusion. He knew something was wrong when she messaged him so late in the way she did, even more so when she answered the door dressed like she was.

"No, it's just that… well, you're dressed like that." 

"What, too much? Should I take something off?"

"No!"

"Relax, handsome. Come in." Betty ordered, and soon Eddie entered, following behind her.

Whatever she wanted, he had yet to find out but to say he was curious was an understatement. The night had soon became the most interesting in a very long time. Betty had soon led him into the massive room with a pool and a hot tub. Seeing his cousin in a swimsuit was again the last thing he had been expecting to see but it was the presence of Chuck Clayton being handcuffed to the bars next to the hot tub which had been the most surprising thing of all. Everything seemed to have been meticulously planned, almost to an extreme extent. The next thing was that Chuck was not moving at all in the hot tub, his head just lulling above the warm bubbling water.

"He's not dead, right?" Eddie asked.

"Obviously." Veronica spat. "Knocked out, drugged and trussed up like the pig he is."

Eddie walked towards the corner where the star player of the Riverdale Bulldogs and placed his foot on top of his head, forcing it underwater for just five seconds before Chuck shot up from the water, shaking and rattling in the water panicking like a crazed mental patient. He soon gained his vision and could see the trio consisting of Betty, Veronica and Eddie standing over him. Eddie had just finished putting his phone away whilst Veronica had her own focusing right on him as he struggled to free himself from his cuffs that kept him in the pool.

"No surprise there, Chuck waltzing into something and getting tackled for it." Eddie muttered. "Except this time, you got handcuffed by two girls. Maybe they should join the wrestling team, they'd be more of a challenge."

Chuck stared in bewilderment. "Lodge? Cooper? What the hell is going on?"

"Start recording." Betty ordered, with Veronica tapping her phone at her compatriot's request. "That water is getting hotter by the minute. Time to squeal, pig, tell the truth about what happened to you and Veronica."

"It was a good time, we had a good time."

"Chuck, tell the truth and maybe you'll get out of the water without third degree burns."

"What? We made out."

"And then?" Betty questioned.

"And then I took her home, and I didn't give her a Sticky Maple." Chuck admitted.

Veronica finished the recording and dropped her phone to the side. To say she looked angry would have been the biggest understatement of the century, since the Sticky Maple incident had happened she had been hell-bent on getting revenge as did Betty when she found out about Jason and Polly. Eddie sighed, realising that what had happened might have been a little over the top, even if it was funny. Chuck had been made a fool of, and it wasn't even in a fight. He had been outsmarted by the girls, and he was sure enough to be put out by it.

It was when Veronica handed Eddie the key to the cuffs that they caught Betty squirting maple syrup on Chuck's head that they hurried to stop her from going any further than she already had gone. Veronica took Betty to another room with Ethel whilst Eddie began to unlock the cuffs for Chuck, pulling him out of the tub whilst his legs began to regain their strength. Whatever the girls had used on him had actively made him weighed down like a sack of potatoes filled to the very brim. Leaning him against the wall, Eddie took to his knee and looked at Chuck eye to eye.

"Why do it?"

"Why do what, Lodge?"

"You know what, don't play stupid with me Clayton. Why the Sticky Maple with every girl you, Hernandez and Streaky came across?"

"Why would I tell you?" Chuck asked. "Why should I tell you anything?

Eddie dragged Chuck back to the water, boiling at that point since Betty had ramped it up before she had left. "Because if you don't, you're head is going in there and isn't coming out until you say something I think is satisfactory. You put my name in there, you put Moose and Reggie in there, who both have done nothing like you. You put Jason in there! He's fucking dead, you asshole!"

"What's wrong? You mad that you didn't get enough points for Yoshida? Mad that I put you in there when you were fucking some South Side bitch this summer?" Chuck shouted, loud enough for anyone in the house to hear. "You getting angry, Lodge? You gonna drown me?"

"Nope." Eddie muttered, dragging Chuck by his limp hands outside the pool house and to the driveway. "I was gonna give you a ride home, but now that's definitely out of the question. I'll just let you crawl home from here, don't worry about the truck. The coolant must have gone onto the flowerbeds. And a tire might have been popped by accident. I wonder who that could have been?"

Dragging a guy the size of Chuck Clayton was a hard job, but punching him in the gut and leaving him to crawl home in his boxers was definitely amusing. It was even more so when Eddie drove past the still limp and semi-lifeless Chuck crawling home with Veronica and Betty in the back seats of the Focus. Their mission had been completed, and when Veronica had been dropped off at the Pembrooke Hotel, it was back to Kennedy Street to make sure that Betty got home safely. However, it was quarter to eleven, and Eddie was cutting it close.

It also didn't help that Betty had not ceased in being her weird alter-ego.

"You're so innocent, it's so cute." Betty had teased, her feet up on his dashboard as they drove around the little neighbourhood. "Like a little angel, too pure for the world."

"I do not know where this has come from all of a sudden, Betty."

"Why do you have to call me that, why can't you just call me whatever you want to call me?" Betty whispered into his ear as he drove. "I can be whatever you want to be..."

"Please, just stop." Eddie muttered, her breath just floating around his ear and neck caused him to shiver. "Since when have you been like this, Betty?"

"Like what, Baby?"

Eddie sighed, dealing with Betty's clearly repressed sexuality was tiring him more than he already was because he was not used to Betty being such a sexual being. If he was a weaker boy he would have fell for the act and then god only knows what could have happened but he wouldn't fall for some little temptations that begged him to just see what it would be like. Romance was not on the cards, not since he had left Tomoko, nor since the summer either. Betty was making it a lot harder than it needed to be.

"Wait there." Eddie stated, and Betty gave him a sultry pout as she listened. He got out of the Ford and soon opened the passenger side door to let her out. He reached into the back to get his jacket to cover her up in the growing cold winds.

He threw his thick denim jacket over Betty's shoulders. She might have been decent, dressed in actual clothes and not just strutting around in a bra and skirt. The skirt was joined by some black ripped tights and a black fabric vest covered her bra with Eddie's jacket keeping her warm. Taking her to the door, he was about to ring the bell to the Coopers' house before he was turned and shoved into the house. Slammed into the side, he could feel Betty's soft lips against his own. Her hands wandered over his chest and stomach, soon gripping and ragging his head down to her so she could continue to kiss him as roughly and seemingly as passionately as she could, muttering sweet nothings into his ear telling him to do things he definitely would not have done in any kind of situation.

 _Jeez, man, she's coming onto you and it's the one time you don't want her to? You're so useless…_

 _Hey! She's my friend, not my damn friend with benefits!_

It was when she slammed him into the wall again that they rang the doorbell by accident. Eddie had began to push Betty off of him, but she had began to bite down on his lip and soon he tasted a faint trace of copper on his tongue. Just before Hal Cooper opened the door, Eddie ripped the black wig off of Betty's head, revealing the straightened blonde hair of the girl he was used to.

"Hi, dad." Betty greeted. "Eddie dropped me off from Ethel's place when he was out."

"Did he now, how nice of him." Hal stated, giving a somewhat bewildered look to the boy beside his daughter. "Thank you, young man. What are you doing out so late anyway?"

"Oh, I was just getting a few things for my father and I saw a text from my cousin who was with Betty so I just thought it would be easier if I dropped them off home." Eddie spoke, quickly. "Uh, I need to get home quick or my father will take my car." 

"Of course, be safe. Thank you for escorting Betty home."

As Hal Cooper turned around and walked back in, Eddie caught a glance of Betty, still in her own world, giving him a sly wink before she closed the door behind her. As soon as the door had closed he had ran to the car and drove as quick as he could back to the house. Parking on the drive next to his dad's car, he stormed into the entry and looked at the clock to the side of him.

 _ **10:59**_

Just as Eddie sighed at his luck, his father entered and looked at him, a fat cigar in between his fingers.

"Cutting it close, boy." Julian Lodge muttered. "Cutting it very close." 

"Yes, sir. I know." Eddie managed to whisper, before he dropped to the floor and slowly began to laugh.

"Son."

"Yeah, dad?"

"Go to bed."

 _ **-X-**_

 _ **ANOTHER CHAPTER DONE**_

 _ **BANG IT OUT FAM**_

 _ **-Old Boy**_


	8. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7: The Snake in the Grass**_

"I mean, at least Chuck isn't at school any more?"

"No, Eddie, this is not comparable to the Chuck Clayton situation."

"Jug, look man, I just think you might be overreacting just a little bit."

"How is me being angry about losing my job overreacting, Eddie? This is coming from you of all people, you're the second richest person in Riverdale next to Cheryl Blossom."

The Chuck Clayton situation had been wrapped up in a neat little bow, with Chuck, Streaky and Yancy all being excluded from the school for an indefinite period of time. Justice had been served, and Eddie had been made the de-facto captain of the wrestling team since Chuck's departure. There was nobody else strong enough to even try and challenge Eddie for the title of captain, and his first decision as such was making sure Kevin Keller had accepted his executive decision to give the position of vice-captain to him. It was well deserved, and Kevin deserved it more than anybody else that was on the team. He had supported Eddie through thick and thin, even if he was a little bit of a drama hound.

What was more interesting was when Dilton Doiley had arrived in the morning at the office of the Blue and Gold newspaper, in the middle of a small meeting between Betty, Jughead and Eddie. The weird boy had been relayed the message from one of his Grizzly Scouts, and had actually decided to meet with them. It was with the confirmation that they would go to Sheriff Keller if he did not tell the full story which had provoked the already-agitated boy to spill the secret that Jughead and Eddie did not want to know.

" _That day, when me and the Grizzlies were on the way to our shooting site." Dilton had gone back to that day. "We could see Miss Grundy's Volkswagen, the old Beetle. It was there at the river when Jason went missing."_

From there on, Jughead and Eddie already had an idea of why she was there on the day, as well as who she was with at the time. She could have only been there with Archie, the young boy which she was keeping her relationship secret with. Archie remained determined to keep it quiet, between the three boys in total trust. Archie really did like her, and the more that he went on about her in the spare time that they rarely had, the topic would always come up between them. It was always Jughead that kept Eddie and Archie on civil terms. Archie wanted to protect Grundy, the noble paladin that he was. Eddie wanted to report her and keep her well away from anyone else in the school. She had been there only for a year, but the niggling thought that was always in Eddie's mind was one of concern for his own classmates. Who else had Grundy abused, who else had she tried to come on to and threatened them to keep quiet? Was it just those who took her private music lessons? If that was the case, he worried for his ex-girlfriend, Tomoko. If he was still alive, he would have worried for Jason Blossom too.

Archie had been absent after school, he had been meaning to join them but when he heard that Miss Grundy would have been playing with Riverdale's operatic society, then he was already out of the metaphorical door and for some reason Mister Andrews had gone with him. Archie had explained to them that he had been grounded for lying about what happened to his father, about how he and Jughead were meant to have gone on a road trip but cancelled at the last minute. He then managed to sneak out and help with the Pussycats, eventually co-writing one of their songs for them. Everything had culminated when Archie had found out his father had met Miss Grundy without his knowledge. It seemed Miss Grundy had done him a favour, as Mister Andrews now seemed a lot more reciprocal of his musical pursuits.

"Look, all I am saying is that perhaps we should just calm down." Eddie had said, quickly scoffing down some of the fries the group of Jughead, Veronica, Betty, Kevin and himself had been sharing. "It's not like the Twilight is the only house of theatre in the town is it? We still have the Bijou, you know, the actual cinema they could possibly knock down too?"

"I know that, but it's the fact that they are knocking down the one drive-in theatre in the entire county! It's like, the holy grail of cinema here and the town government is just knocking out down because some anonymous buyer, probably some rich megalomaniac or an opulent and prosperous corporation making a mega-store in it's place. That's why I'm angry." Jughead spouted from his soap box that was the group's booth. "Look, like the great man himself Quentin Tarantino once said..."

"Please, God, Jughead don't make any more Tarantino references." Kevin gasped, practically begging for the usually lonesome boy to stop.

"What? I'm pissed. It's like that place is my livelihood, it was my childhood. I work there for Christ sake! Why would I not be angry about this?" Jughead spat, his hat looked as if it were about to fall from his head.

"We're not saying you don't have a right to be angry about it, Jughead." Veronica interjected. "We're just saying, and be 'we' I mean Edward and Kevin that you just need to calm down and take some time to think about what's happening."

Jughead sighed. "There's nothing to think about. I just wish I could talk to the buyer and persuade them not to demolish it for the land."

"Fat chance." Eddie mumbled, quickly taking a small sip of his chocolate milkshake before he felt Veronica's sharp heel dig into his foot.

"Yeah, thanks for the sympathy, Eddie. Whatever." Jughead muttered. "I was thinking of making one last picture show before they try and take the land away, anyone wanna come?"

The group of teenagers all looked at those next to and opposite each other. It had been a long time since they had all done something together as a group and it seemed like this would have been the best opportunity to get some quality time together outside of school. Eddie had already decided he would tell Archie about what was happening, at least when he next saw him, and soon Jughead had already taken out a pen and a notepad to jot down any kind of film recommendations that anyone had for the last picture show of the Twilight Drive-In. He had heard Veronica mention anything with Audrey Hepburn would do for her, which was a classic answer of her. Kevin had been a little more nuanced with his own choices, choosing _The Talented Mr. Ripley_ as his own choice.

Eddie had proceeded to slowly slurp the chocolate milkshake through the red and white straw, purposely gaining an odd gathering of glances from Kevin, Betty and Veronica as he guzzled down the sweet drink. As soon as he had finished, Eddie sat back into the red leather booth and gave out an exasperated gasp. "Jughead Jones the Third, I would like to recommend the film known as _V for Vendetta_."

"Any reason for that choice, Eddie?" Veronica asked.

Eddie gave a wide smile, aiming it directly at Jughead as the moody, hat-wearing teenager turned up to look at his friend. "I think our friend running the last picture show needs a little bit of rebellion in his playlist for the night. Who knows, it might make him feel better."

Jughead grimaced as he looked towards the blonde sat next to him, Betty. She had been extremely reserved when it came to their little meeting together and had barely said a word or got a word in edgeways when she wanted to speak at all. "Betty, any movies you want to recommend?"

Betty had remained fixated on her own milkshake, her eyes glaring through the white vanilla milkshake till she had shaken herself out of her stupor. "What?"

"You okay, Betty?" Veronica had asked, quickly pinching a fry a gracefully placing in between her lips. "You seem out of it."

"I'm okay." Betty reaffirmed herself, and others before looking at Jughead. "I was thinking maybe… _Rebel Without A Cause?_ "

"See, Jughead, even Betty is on this with me. You just need a good ol' bit of rebellion."

The group of five remained in their booth like that for a while, sitting there from when school had officially finished at three until it the night sky had slowly began to invade their cosy little town and take away the small semblance of normality that Riverdale had. In the day, the town looked as if it could have been replaced with any other town just like it. Yet, when the night had arrived then the town itself seemed like it was haunted by misfortunes past, mishaps well and truly forgotten by the town's current inhabitants. Those miniscule catastrophes that the town wanted to hide were now beginning to come to light. There had not been a murder in their blissful, halcyon town in decades. There town was the ideal that every town wanted to be like, but now that ideal vision had been shattered in favour of one worse, one that had gained county-wide attention for the murder of the young boy found floating in the nearby river.

Little did many others know that Riverdale was a town of secrets, secrets that for the betterment of the town the inhabitants wished would never come to see the light of day. There was something about the town that portrayed this almost heavenly type of perfection. That the only issues that town had were the occasional rifts between neighbours and on the rare occasion when the gangs from the nearby South Side would come to Riverdale to cause trouble and wreak havoc. The South Side Serpents being one such gang, riding around on modified Harley-Davidson cycles and other such vehicles. Riverdale and it's citizens had been thankful it was not the other gang, the Ghoulies who were much worse than the Serpents due to them being involved in much more severe crimes than the Serpents themselves.

Before Eddie could add any more suggestions, he was quickly interrupted by Kevin. "That's a very odd combo of people."

Eddie poked his head out of the booth to see who had entered the diner, and it was no surprise to see entering first, but then watching his father and Miss Grundy enter behind him and look for a booth made what Kevin said a little more accurate. So there was a young boy and his father, joined by the boy's female predator. Miss Grundy looked rather out of place, and as soon as Jughead had laid eyes on the female teacher he had sighed, placed his two arms down on the table and proceeded to use his head to dig between them. Confusion was clearly on Kevin's visage, as it was for Veronica, but Eddie had done the right thing and turned to look out the window, spotting his reflection amongst the neon light. He focused on the slow-growing stubble under his chin, and didn't listen to whatever Veronica and Kevin were guessing about.

He didn't bother at least until Betty had muttered something about speaking to Archie and then leaving the booth. Both Jughead and Eddie refused to look at her as soon as she had left, but it was quite hard when Veronica had soon drawn attention to the fact that Betty had now taken Archie outside and was talking to him rather loudly. Through the glass windows, Eddie could just about make out Archie's voice, confused and wondering about what he was doing until his eyes had widened the same way they had done when he realised he would have to tell Jughead and Eddie what was happening between Miss Grundy and Veronica.

"What's happening, what's going on, is it about me?" Veronica asked, rapidly asking the questions.

"What?"

"No. It's not about you, Ronnie." Eddie responded, with Jughead grumbling with his head cushioned between his arms. "And I would just leave it alone."

"Yes, well, I am not like you am I?" Veronica stated, before standing and going out to join the confrontation.

The two girls had confronted the boy in the car park, grilling him hard on what was happening and soon the two girls had realised what had been happening between Grundy and Archie. Betty had looked over her shoulder to see Kevin, Jughead and Eddie still in their booth. Her eyes glanced over Eddie, and she could remember precious little about the last few days. He had been rather awkward with her, but she assumed it was just him being him. It was the fact that the three boys had kept the fact that Archie was being preyed upon a secret from everyone else.

She soon caught the pair, Kevin and Eddie looking at the trio before her mother turned up, forcing Betty to leave in haste.

What she had learnt had only confirmed her suspicions, and she now worried for Archie.

 _ **-X-**_

It had been the next day when Jughead had made a request of Eddie to drop him off at the Riverdale Town Hall.

Mayor Sierra McCoy had been the first point of call when it came to Jughead wishing to try and stop the demolition of the Twilight Drive-In. Any kind of planning permission needed to be allowed by her before any kind of demolishing would be done, let alone the process of building on the land. As soon as Eddie's Ford had parked up at the lot, Jughead had a mission and he was not letting anyone get in the way of that, he was not letting anyone destroy what he had deemed the most holy house of cinema. He simply refused to let it go.

The two waited for Mrs. McCoy to call them into her office, and Jughead almost threw himself into the office like a javelin. Eddie had soon followed him, and already knew where the meeting was going. There was a reason that Sierra McCoy had won the last mayoral election, becoming the first African-American and female mayor in Riverdale's history.

"Mister Lodge, Mister Jones, what can I do for two of the most well-educated men in Riverdale?" The mayor asked, smiling from her large leather seat behind her desk.

"It's not so much me, Mayor, but it's Jughead." Eddie began. "He has an issue with a certain part of the town."

"The South Side, Mister Jones?"

"The Twilight Cinema Drive-In, Mayor McCoy."

The Mayor sighed and almost merged with her seat as Jughead made his intentions clear. She had been busy, really busy with the buyer of the site and the land. She was not allowed to mention who had bought the land, even more so when Mayor McCoy had told the pair of boys that there was a bidding war going on for the land under the drive-in and she could not disclose the identify either of the buyers involved in the buying of the land. When Jughead even tried to use his own childhood as a reason for her to not even give planning permission to anyone, McCoy had shut him down once more with efficiency. She was definitely voted the mayor, and it wasn't just because she was a pretty face.

"So you mean to say that I can't speak to anyone about what's happening with the land? What if the bidding war isn't over by the date of the demolition?" Jughead asked.

"Then the war goes on until someone, one of the buying parties makes an offer that is too good to let go and I take that offer for the town and the county." Mayor McCoy replied, wrapping her hands together.

Jughead sighed, and soon turned and left the room. Eddie was right behind him, quickly thanking the Mayor for her time before he left and followed Jughead to the bright blue car that he called his own. Jughead had to admit, with enough time he could perhaps deduce who wanted the land but again, it would take him time. That was time that he could not waste, but he had a sneaking suspicion that the Blossoms would have been one of the parties trying to buy the land on the grounds that Riverdale might as well have been their ancestral property and therefore they owned all of the town. Of course, if they tried that then they might as well have been asking for Riverdale's own version of the American Revolution again. No, perhaps they just wanted to buy more land for their own maple syrup enterprise.

It was hardly a difficult assumption. They had enough money to try and make the buying offer, but what worried Jughead was the offer from the other anonymous buyer. Whoever it was had been shrewd and quiet, keeping themselves as well as their business moves sneaky and discrete. Apparently they had been blocking the other party at every opportunity, sometimes just when the other party thought that they had the land. If he was waiting for someone to buy the land, Jughead might as well just have given up on the drive-in then and there.

He needed one last show, and if that succeeded than maybe he could make one more and keep the theatre going for as long as possible.

"Jug, maybe we should just leave it."

Jughead turned to his friend. "Eddie, I don't think you realise how much this place means to me. It was my childhood, I don't want it to be stripped down and replaced like it was nothing. It's a part of Riverdale, don't you feel the same way. C'mon, you have to!"

Eddie's face drooped. "It does mean something to me, Jughead. It means something to me, Archie, Betty, Kevin. It means something to every single person in this town but sometimes we just have to let things go when the time comes. Maybe we should just be like that with the drive-in."

"It's a piece of town history, though." Jughead quickly shot back.

"Sometimes town history is better to be forgotten than to be remembered." Eddie responded. "Do you think in ten or twenty years that somebody will want to remember what happened when Jason Blossom was found dead in the Sweetwater river? I don't think so, Jug."

The glum boy had nodded. He had not yet decided to give up, but he knew that perhaps he was wrong. Maybe it was his own personal bias affect his decision on what they would be doing, how they would just be prolonging the inevitable. Mayor McCoy had made it clear to the both of them that the land was going to be bought out by somebody, that it was going to be bought out and it was going to be soon. It was just another matter of time, just like it was a matter of time when Riverdale would be seen as a place of secrets and not of safety.

"You okay, Jug?" Eddie asked, placing his hands on his friend's shoulders. "Look, you'll get through this. I know you will."

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

 _ **-X-**_

 _ **A short chapter I know, but I will be extremely busy this week so it's better if I get this out now than leave the story to stagnate and get the writer's block back again. I will finish the rest of episode four with the next chapter and then I will see which parts really need to be kept in to make a better written narrative. I know I have been extremely selective and focusing on Eddie, but OC creations need a certain amount of development to make them fit into the settings and hopefully I will be able to wean off this and write for some of the other characters.**_

 _ **\- An Old Boy**_


	9. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8: The Hunter of Bulldogs**_

The fact of the matter was that Archie was being molested, he was being sexually assaulted and some would even say he was being emotionally manipulated into being raped by an adult. What had made it worse was this person was meant to be somebody responsible for looking after the children in her class and instead she had taken her liberties with one of them in the most heinous of ways. The fact that it was her prey defending her to others was something that made Betty's heart sink for Archie, as well as for those who wanted the best for him.

It was why she was so horrified by the fact that Jughead and Eddie had managed to keep it a secret, not that they didn't want to, but that they believed that Archie could handle the situation on his own when it was clear that he was being manipulated by that vulture, Miss Grundy. As soon as she had found out from the horse's mouth, the horse being Archie, she knew she needed to do something. She had to convince him that what had been happening to him since the summer was wrong, that it was illegal and it should be stopped at least.

It was why she had immediately confronted Eddie when he had walked into the Blue and Gold office.

Eddie had walked in from break and into his free period where he would go through some stories on the sports section of the newspaper, setting his satchel down on the desk he had called his own and before he could sit down he was grabbed by Betty and thrown into the corner of the office where nobody was able to see or hear them. Jughead didn't have free period like they did, and so they were completely hidden from anybody in the hallway unless they decided to poke their head into the office for some unknown reason to the pair.

"Betty, what-"

"We need to talk. Right now."

"Betty, you're going to rip my shirt-"

"You have bigger things to worry about other than a shirt that you can buy again."

After Betty had almost launched Eddie into a corner, Eddie had remained calm and glued himself to the nearby corner of the walls. An angry Betty Cooper was something he didn't want to deal with, especially since he didn't want to deal with whatever had changed her on the night of Chuck's humiliation. He still remembered that, how she had gone from this humble and quiet girl next door to some kind of freedom-addicted hell-cat who didn't give a damn about who she was with and what she did with them. It was a totally different side to the usually perfect girl next door.

"Okay, okay, what's wrong?" Eddie sputtered, looking directly at the blonde editor, once again dressed in her regular pink jumper.

"What's wrong?" Betty asked, incredulously. "What do you mean, 'what's wrong?' I mean that how could you not tell anyone about what's happening to Archie and Miss Grundy?"

Eddie had noticed that the blonde's growing anger was just about visible in her pale-skinned face. The bright green eyes that shone like emeralds in the right light had focused on him, as if she were thinking on how to extract every answer to the questions she was asking Eddie. Betty had that odd look in her eye, the one which just clearly showed that she was clearly in her detective mode. From what he had seen when they were all at Pop's, this was nothing like she had been with Dilton Doiley and how he fired the gun on the date of Jason's disappearance. No, instead it was something that held clear disdain for the situation that the trio of boys she called her friends had gotten themselves into. She knew that whatever had happened which had lead to Archie becoming a sufferer at the hands of Miss Grundy. She knew that if the situation was reversed, the boys (as well as everyone else who knew about it) would have kicked up the biggest stink and gone about it in such a way that it would have dragged the process out and made it painful. It was something she never wanted to imagine, if Coach Clayton had ever assaulted a girl on the River Vixen team, the boys would have lost their minds.

"Look, I wanted to tell somebody." Eddie had began his statement. "I wanted to tell Principal Weatherbee, I wanted to tell Sheriff Keller, I wanted to tell Mister Andrews but Archie had told us that he would handle it. He told that to me and to Jughead. We promised that we wouldn't tell anyone, because he said he..."

"You promised him that you wouldn't tell? You promised the victim of a sexual predator you wouldn't tell anyone?" Betty had asked. "Did you not think about this? About how this is affecting Archie when you confronted him? What if he's with Grundy right now? What else did he say, he said what?"

"I don't know if I should say anything else, this is something you need to talk about with Archie, not me." Eddie muttered.

Betty glared at Eddie, fury in her eyes. "What did Archie say, Edward?"

"He said he didn't want us to tell anyone about him and Grundy because he loved her." Eddie finally admitted. "Those were his own words. Jughead was the one who managed to convince him to talk about the gunshot to Weatherbee and Sheriff Keller. He got Cheryl out of the spotlight because otherwise they would have arrested her when she never did anything."

"How can you say that? Do you know that Cheryl didn't kill Jason?" Betty asked. "Or is it because you just like her?"

"Betty, where is this going because if you think I'm covering for Cheryl than change directions right now." Eddie growled. "I have got no reason to cover for her, and a crush when we were younger does not count for anything."

"So?"

"So?" Eddie repeated. "You're ignoring the fact that Doiley said that Grundy was with Archie that day. Grundy didn't say anything about the gunshot, but Archie did and he didn't mention anything about Grundy. So why did she not say anything unless she's got something to hide?"

The fury in Eddie's eyes had soon left her, and soon she had regained the calmness and pacifism in her eyes as she turned away from her friend. Eddie had a point which she had began to think of before he had arrived. Grundy had a lot to hide, being a wolfish predator that stalked children, the children that entered her hunting ground known as Riverdale High. There was a question on her mind, one that didn't just relate to Archie being a victim to her, but who else had been a victim due to her actions as well. She knew that Tomoko Yoshida, Eddie's former girlfriend had taken extra curricular musical lessons with her. Who else did, Betty did not know but she knew how to get that information. Whether it was weird in the eyes of others was something that Betty found herself not caring about, because she needed to stop Grundy from hurting anybody else like she had hurt her best friend.

The more she thought about it, the more it hurt when she took what Archie had apparently said about Miss Grundy. That he loved her, and that since the summer he had loved her from when they first started doing whatever it was they did. It wasn't dating, it was not a relationship. Grundy just could not love him, she just couldn't. Betty loved Archie, she had loved him ever since she had helped him remain in the same grade as her when he was struggling at school. She swore she would go down a grade with him if he did.

She helped him, and in return when he was little he said he wanted to marry her, she said she would when they were older. When she thought about that memory, she could only smile and think about what a mistake she had made now, leaving him for so long only for him to find himself entranced with Veronica Lodge of all people.

"Betty, are you alright?" Eddie had asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just…" Betty sighed before continuing. "I don't know how we didn't see it. We should have noticed, we should have told someone."

"No, you didn't know. Me and Jughead did and we tried to tell Archie how it was wrong. Instead, we listened to him and we promised him that we wouldn't tell anyone. You weren't part of that, and it was the only way the three of us would regain the trust of each other. We made a mistake and now Archie's paying for it." Eddie admitted. "It was our fault, not yours."

Betty turned to her friend, looking up to him to see his head had sunk and he was staring a hole into the tiled floor. She placed her hand under his chin and raised his head so she could look at him. His eyes had glazed over a bit with water, and Betty moved forward to give Eddie a hug. She knew he was an emotional guy, she had seen it himself when he attacked Chuck in the locker room and it applied twice when he knew he had done something wrong. She knew he didn't have a motherly figure in his life, and living with a man like his dad had hardened him and put him on a path where he thought violence was more of an answer than talking about it was. He had gotten into more fights than any other member of their social group, even more than Jughead and he was someone who instigated them with the jocks quite a lot.

"Come here, you big animal." Betty mumbled as she felt his arms wrap around her waist. The more she held on to him, the more she realised he did tower over her. "Hey, everything will be alright, okay? We'll help Archie get out of this."

Eddie sighed into her shoulder. "Ugh, why the hell am I crying right now? God damn it."

Betty felt him pull away, and soon she looked at his eyes, noticing the bloodshot in his eyes as he wiped the tear tracks away. "I should be the one asking you if you're okay." Eddie managed to sputter.

Betty's shoulders fell and like her friend, let out an exasperated sigh. "I think I know what this is about, Veronica came up to me about when Chuck was forced to make the walk of shame out of school. I'm fine, Eddie, you don't need to worry about me."

Eddie's eyes, even though they were bloodshot and remained somewhat watery, could have pierced through her soul at that very moment. She knew something was wrong when Veronica had brought up what happened with Chuck, and Chuck himself had given her the dirtiest of gazes as he walked out of school. Eddie was there too, that much she could remember but other than that she couldn't remember anything. "Betty, you were completely different. I've never seen you like that before. It was creepy, abnormal even."

"Look, it was just to keep Chuck entertained, it was so we could get him going along with the plan." Betty had began. "That's all it was." 

"So why keep it going with me then?"

"What?" Betty asked, almost gasping as soon as Eddie had asked.

"If it was just to keep Chuck rolling with the plan before I arrived, why keep it going with me when I arrived if it was only for Chuck? Not even Veronica kept it going when I was there. Not that there was anything to keep up with her, she was on a mission to get revenge." Eddie had asked. "Like I said, you were a completely different person that night. You, the way you messaged me and the way you talked. It was completely different. You weren't Betty Cooper, you were like, some hellish version of that, everything you just weren't."

"It can't have been that bad. Surely it was nothing horrifying, was it?"

"Betty, you kissed me right before I dropped you off home, literally right before your dad answered the door."

Betty's eyes dropped when she heard Eddie talk about her actions on that night. Why couldn't she remember that, she should have been able to remember such a thing. She would remember kissing someone like Eddie, and that was something that Eddie wouldn't lie about. He wouldn't lie to her and she wouldn't lie to him, so why couldn't she believe what she was hearing? Maybe Veronica was right, maybe she had been acting out of character that night and she needed to be a bit more careful with what she did around town now.

"I'm so sorry, Eddie."

"It's nothing, I just thought it was better to tell you than just let it slide." Eddie admitted. "Come on, let's just try and get Archie out of this mess and then we can sort out whatever happened with you and your..." 

"Alter-ego?" Betty questioned, giving a half-smirk to her friend. She needed to make light of it, otherwise she would just think of it all day.

"Yeah, let's go with that."

 _ **-X-**_

 **Betty: Alright, I've just finished my interview with Grundy and a little background research. I'll be there soon. X**

 **Eddie: No problem, I'm with Archie at Pop's so you can take your time. :-)**

After school had ended and their sports practices had been finished, Eddie had decided that getting Archie somewhere he could talk to him without interruption was the best idea. Archie needed to somehow be convinced of the fact that Grundy was hiding something or at least see that he was being manipulated by her and that she needed to go. The hard part was just getting to him. Archie could be stubborn, and how they had all been during the summer and after the Semi-Formal Dance showed what happened when tempers flared between them in their group. It was something that needed to be avoided, and having Archie just there meant he would have to be confronted with the information that had been found on Grundy and he could not shy away from it.

As soon as Eddie had finished texting Betty, the pair of boys had sat down at their usual booth and ordered some food to get rid of the growing hungers they felt since lunch. If there was one thing that the boys needed, it was a burger from the one man who had been doing it since he was a kid, and that was Pop Tate. They weren't thin little beef patties that had no juice like from Burger King or MacDonald's. They were massive, yet also tender and built to fill up the largest of stomachs. Cheese melted on top with bacon and pulled pork on top, with a side of onion rings or fries made the boys practically salivate when the burgers were slid in front of them.

"Enjoy that, boys, you need anything else?" The large African-American said. "Anything at all?"

"Just some cherry soda, Pop." Eddie asked. "You want anything, Arch?"

"I'm alright, thanks Pop."

"No problem, boys." Pop smiled before almost hopping along behind the counter. A waiter soon dropped off Eddie's soda and the two young men ripped and tore into their meal.

The diner known as Pop's Chock'litte Shoppe was something that looked as if it had been ripped straight from the nineteen-fifties. The red and white tiling of the floor, the red leather booths that could almost seat six to seven people in them were filled with almost all sorts of people that lived in the surrounding area. The walls themselves were splayed out with black and white photographs from back in the day, when the Tate family had first arrived in Riverdale and first bought the land and the building that they all now sat in. Pop Tate never made it a secret that it was a family business, and Eddie had worked there before from time to time when he needed temporary work and the money. He had seen Mrs. Tate before and she was a wonderful lady, still treating Pop Tate like he was her little boy even though he was an adult.

The Tate family were one of the families that were a core part of the town of Riverdale, ever-present and non-moving. He was always kind and nobody had ever seen the man angry or sad, he took pleasure in having one of the most successful businesses in the town. The people of the town approved of him too, having earned their respect for how much work he had put into his mother's business and how often he let the kids work for him whenever he needed some extra waiters and waitresses. He was an all-around good guy.

"So, how was football?" Eddie asked, swallowing an onion ring.

"Eh, it was alright I guess. Just like every other time, minus Chuck playing Corner Back. Other than that, I guess it was just like it usually is." Archie replied, taking a gulp of water from his water bottle. "What about wrestling?" 

"Better without Chuck ragging around the lightweights like he used to." Eddie divulged. "Kevin was busy analysing who we need for the next wrestling competition while I was helping some of the new welterweight guys." 

Taking a sip of his soda, Eddie looked to the door when the bell above rang, seeing the bright blonde ponytail dawdle in and turn to their booth. Betty Cooper had soon joined them, with Eddie sliding further to the window whilst Betty took her seat directly across from Archie. Eddie could see his eyes roll when she sat down, because he clearly knew Betty was not going to let what was happening with Archie and Grundy go. As soon as she had sat down, she had slapped down a brown file on the table in front of her, Archie and Eddie as Eddie took another handful of onion rings from the red plastic bowl.

"Hey, Betty. What's up?"

Betty had remained stony-faced. "Look, Archie, I'm worried about you..."

"If this is about Grundy, look Betty, I..." Archie then looked at Eddie. "You're with her on this, aren't you?"

"Archie, you know my feelings on this and I haven't told anyone about you and her, like I promised. But I agree with her, you lied to Sheriff Keller for her. That's wrong, and it could screw up Sheriff Keller's investigation because of that."

"But she believed in me, when nobody else did!" Archie almost shouted.

"Archie you didn't tell anybody what you were going through at the time, not even me. We didn't know about you wanting to do music and maybe drop football. We didn't know about you not wanting to work for your dad until you told us. We would have been there for you if you'd told us." Betty had reassured her red-headed friend, only this time he wasn't accepting that.

"But you want me to stop seeing her, why, because she's older than me?" Archie asked, eyebrows raised as he pushed his plate to his side. "It's a stupid reason, you guys. I love her, and she loves me too." 

"Arch, man, don't say that?"

"Why, because you don't like hearing it?"

"Because you know and I know that it isn't true!" Eddie whispered loudly. "She's using you as a shield, she used you to defend herself. You didn't mention to the sheriff that she was there, so if Sheriff Keller finds out you lied then it will just be you in the firing line and if you bring her up then, it will only make things worse."

The trio remained silent for a while, the old-time records from Pop's functional jukebox broke the silence as it merged with some of the intermittent conversations from around the other booths and the nearby counter where Pop was. Betty could tell Eddie was trying his hardest to break down the walls that Archie had put up when it came to the subject of his 'love'. Truthfully, he really hadn't broken his promise since Betty and Veronica had found out about him and Miss Grundy a few nights beforehand so Eddie like always, had been loyal to him since they had made up on the night of the pep rally.

"Archie, please just listen to us..." Betty began, but she was soon cut-off.

"Why should I when you guys clearly don't listen to me?""

"Because it's for your own good!" Betty almost shouted. "Grundy is hiding something, I know it and Eddie does too." 

"How can you say that when you have absolutely no proof? You're just looking for a witch hunt where there aren't any to be found." Archie spat back. "Honestly, it makes you guys just look like what it would be like if we found out about a male teacher and Betty."

"Except I wouldn't be in that position, Archie." Betty quickly corrected him. "And there is proof."

Betty opened the brown paper file and took out ten pages worth of google searching for anybody with the name of Geraldine Grundy around the Riverdale area and anybody in the state of New York as a whole. Any kind of mention of her provided not a single image reference to a person that looked like anything like the Miss Geraldine Grundy they knew at Riverdale High. There were no depictions of the woman with straw-like and dirty blonde hair, with large frame glasses that were structured around her hazel brown eyes. She had very little wrinkles and if anything, Eddie could understand how Archie might have been taken advantage of during the summer. She had the look and manner of somebody who looked innocent but could have their own way with anybody she wanted to. It's why he was worried for Tomoko, why he would have been worried for Jason or anybody who played in the band for the school.

"What even is this?" Archie asked, flicking through the pages.

"Searches for Grundy, the only person that was named Grundy in Riverdale died, seven years ago!" Betty argued. "She's using the name of a dead woman to keep her own identity hidden, from you and from everybody else! Is that not suspicious?"

"Look, just leave it! Please, just drop it." Archie begged, almost pleading from his side of the table.

Eddie groaned, as it looked as if Archie was about to drop on his knees. "Arch, we can't do that. You might be in danger."

"Damn it, Eddie, you don't know that!" Archie bellowed. "Neither of you know that, you can't know that and just because you searched google for her doesn't mean anything."

"Archie, please, just listen to us..." Betty whispered.

"Please, if you're really my friends, you'll drop this."

With that, Archie placed some of his money for the food on the table, grabbed his things and left the diner. Eddie sighed, taking what was left of Archie's food and piling it on his plate whilst Betty placed her head on her arms and exhaled loud enough for the booth behind them to hear her. She soon looked to her side to see Eddie scrounging and scoffing the remains of the food that was left over and sighed again.

"Told you it wasn't gonna be easy getting him to listen." Eddie mumbled, through gnashing teeth.

"Yeah, thanks for the pointing out the obvious, Eddie." Betty replied, tightening her ponytail. "How can we convince if that didn't work?"

"Bomb him." Eddie dead-panned, getting a weird glare from Betty. "What? Am I wrong?"

"You want to bomb Archie?" With what, the fries still left on your plate?" 

"No, I mean we need to find something so big that it will kick Archie from being totally enamoured with Grundy into being totally freaked out by her." Eddie explained, finishing off the remains of his burger before setting his sights on Archie's leftover cheeseburger. "It's just getting a hold of that thing that's the hard part." 

"Not exactly." Betty murmured, getting Eddie looking at her whilst he chewed loudly on the beef patty. "Can you meet me at Grundy's house at nine?"

 _ **-X-**_

"You know, when you said 'meet me at Grundy's house at nine' I just thought we were going to confront her about Archie."

"You know me better than that Eddie, we only confront people when we have evidence."

"Or when Jughead extracts it from somebody who is scared of him."

The little bungalow just at the end of Howard Avenue had been taken by the dark night, the windows showing that it was only darkness that remained in the music teacher's house. She was most likely sleeping or in her practice room, so logic would dictate she was either asleep or just couldn't hear anything but her own cello. Nothing was stopping the two students from doing what they needed to do to protect Archie, but Eddie was now considering how far they were going with that, and why they didn't just tell Grundy to leave or to stop seeing Archie.

Betty had taken a slim jim from her dad's garage and had headed out late at night, telling her mother she just needed to see Veronica about some school work for the next day. In fact, she had met with Eddie not too far away from Grundy's house and filled him in with the plan. She slid the lock breaking tool between the door and began to manoeuvre it between the lock mechanisms, with Eddie keeping watch as she attempted to break into the music teacher's car. There was a loud clunk and both Eddie and Betty looked towards the house of Grundy as well as the street around them before Betty opened the door and threw herself into the passenger seat and began poking around the glove compartment lock, soon taking a bobby pin from her pocket and beginning to play with the locks mechanisms before the compartment opened up, a bright light illuminating the veritable treasure trove they had found.

"Betty, there's someone…" Edward began. "Holy shit."

Betty turned towards Eddie with a box of papers, and in the other hand she held the frame of a large pistol. Eddie pulled the mask from under his coat and quickly and forcefully threw Betty's hood over her head before he slammed the door. The two teens ran off into the night, carrying evidence of their teacher's past misdeeds in their very hands.

 _ **-X-**_

 _ **I figured that this episode needs to be tackled in three parts, and it might become the norm depending on the amount of time I have through the upcoming holidays. It just allows me to post more often for you guys instead of leaving it for weeks on end.**_

 _ **\- An Old Boy**_


	10. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9: All Caught Up In The Moment**_

In essence, it had been a bad idea in general. Betty Cooper and Eddie Lodge had just gone and committed a crime, a felony no less. Eddie didn't exactly know what he was getting into when he had been told to meet Betty at the predator's house. He still had little clue until Betty had broken into the classic Volkswagen Beetle and taken a fake identification card as well as a rather large revolver from the glove compartment. Instead of stopping the pair, it made them dig deeper.

Geraldine Grundy, their music teacher at Riverdale High School was in actuality, not Geraldine Grundy. Instead, her ID named her as 'Jennifer Gibson'. A quick Google search had found her almost instantly when they searched hard enough. She lived not far from the town of Riverdale, instead living in Centreville. Of course, Eddie had no doubt that she was probably in Riverdale just to get easier access to the children. Riverdale had a small police presence. Every town in the county knew it, Riverdale had such a small crime rate that the need for a full blown state-of-the-art Police Department had been reluctantly given, but underfunded as well as under-staffed. It was awful.

Even more so when the working-class part of the town was resorting more and more to criminal work and gang warfare.

It seemed that ever since Jason's body had been found in the river, bloated and rotting with a hole in his head, the town had turned darker within the days afterwards. Everyone had been so caught up in the murder case of the richest boy in the year, they had not even bothered to think of the possibility of other criminals that had been hiding under their noses the entire time. From what Eddie could remember, Grundy had been a substitute teacher until she had a permanent residence in the town and as the music teacher. She was skilled, and she had used her own innocent face and mannerisms to avoid any kind of confrontation. She was meek and shy, soft-spoken even.

Not a single person had even known about her.

Betty was kicking herself as the pair had ran down the pathways all the way back to Kennedy Street, to Betty's house. The real-life Nancy Drew had been determined to find something on Miss Grundy that she had resorted to breaking the law to find the evidence she wanted so badly. The cold September winds had been blowing against their faces harshly as they ran well past Betty's accommodation and to the larger house next door. The Andrews residence was alight, with a few splashes of colour bursting through the window pane. A faint yellow hue had been temporarily splattered against the wooden front patio when Betty had rang the door bell, with Fred Andrews opening the door with an inkling of surprise in his eyes when he saw both Eddie and Betty.

"Betty? Eddie? What's up?" The veteran asked. "You need to see Archie?"

"If that is okay with you, Mister Andrews. We promise to make it quick." Betty had quickly responding, with Eddie not saying as he tried to regain his breath since running from street to street.

The man of the Andrews house turned up to the stairs. "Archie! Betty and Eddie are here to see you!"

The younger boy had soon stomped down the stairs, shoulders hunched with a guitar pluck still in between his fingers. He had a look of confusion on his face, and while Fred had soon meandered back into the living room and continued watching the television, Archie had gone outside with his two friends. His look of confusion was still there, a small fraction of unknowing in his eyes before it turned to frustration and anger when he looked at the pair in front of him. He had thrown the pluck in his pocket, and as soon as he had withdrawn his hands from his pockets he had them clenched hard, as if his hands were right about to fold in on themselves. He had focused on Betty first.

"Betty, I swear to God if this is about what I think it is, I'm gonna walk back inside and lock the door." Archie threatened. "I told you guys to leave it, didn't I? I thought we were friends?"

"Archie, just listen to what Betty has to say for once, please." Eddie almost begged. He would have dropped to his knees. "It's worth hearing."

Betty had been holding the small box in which she had found the incriminating evidence, her hands wrapped tight around the steel box whilst the cold seeped into her hands and onto her skin, sending her skin pale white. It seemed that she had been thinking of what she was saying, focusing on grasping the box whilst she thought of the words to say. The more she struggled, the quicker that Archie had began to tap his foot against the concrete.

"Well then, Betty? What have you got to say that's so important?" Archie asked, not far from demanding her to speak.

Betty soon gathered the courage to look at her childhood crush, and Eddie knew how much it had crushed her to even try and investigate what had been happening between Archie and the cougar of a music teacher. Eddie could see it whenever they were near each other, that inkling of disappointment from not being able to have what she once thought was meant to be. Hearing that he was being raped by his teacher who had gotten him into what he thought was his chosen path now was almost heart-breaking.

 _Almost like a damn romantic tragedy…_ Eddie pondered. _As if it could get any worse._

"We… we went into Grundy's car."

"You broke into Miss Grundy's car? Are you guys serious? You guys are criminals!" Archie muttered quietly. "You know how bad this already is, right?"

"But we found a gun and a fake identification badge. With her name being 'Jennifer Gibson'!" Betty exclaimed. "There is no Geraldine Grundy, the only Geraldine Grundy that was in this town died! Two years ago, might I add! It's all a lie, Geraldine Grundy is just a lie made by some con-woman with an interest in young boys! It's disgusting!"

"It's different, we are different!" Archie spat. "I love her, and she loves me!"

"Archie, just listen to her! Please!" Eddie pleaded. "What you are doing, what she is doing, is illegal! It's dangerous for you as much as it is for her."

"And how would you know that, Eddie? What can you possibly know since this year started, since Jason died, since we ever fell out because of what happened at the Semi-Formal? You're helping Betty make Grundy look worse than she is!"

With Archie's last words, he had received a harsh clap across the face. Archie looked at his friend in clear disbelief that he had even bothered to try and slap the red-head. Archie's cheek looked about as red as his hair, and Eddie had remained dead-set on staring down his friend. Eddie had glared at Archie, and Archie had done the same to him before standing toe to toe with the wrestler. "What the hell was that for, Eddie?"

"Because this is more than just about your relationship, if you can call it that with Grundy! It's about the murder case, what if she had something to do with killing Jason?"

"She didn't. I was with her!"

"Okay, so you can confirm she was there. Can you go to the police, no, because it arouses suspicion. So this is no longer about her killing Jason." Eddie firmly stated.

"And that's a good thing!" Archie almost shouted.

"Yeah, but what about every other boy and girl that has had music lessons with Grundy, or Gibson, or whatever you want to call her!" Eddie continued. "Jason Blossom, he played the piano like he was a maestro and Tomoko could play the violin like it was not an issue. What if she did anything to either of them, what if she did anything to Tomoko when I was dating her last year? Have you ever thought of that? What if you're not the only one?"

Archie had been silent at that. Perhaps Eddie had gotten through to him on some basic level, but he did not want that. He needed Betty to show her what Archie was not looking at, what he hadn't seen but they had in their hands.

"Betty, open the box." Eddie said. "Archie, just look at it and swear that you won't go near her again."

"Eddie, I can't do that for you. I'm sorry but I can't."

Archie's face had dropped the more that his friends became confrontational about Grundy. He took a deep sigh and contemplated everything that he had been told since he had came downstairs. It made sense, and it made her look suspicious. He never asked her any questions on the basis that he might lose her, might lose her as a teacher as well as something more than that. He didn't even know what to call her then, let alone after finding out her secrets. Calling Grundy his girlfriend sounded weird, lover sounded too dramatic and friends with benefits just was out right untrue. There was something there between them, and they both knew it so why would she hide anything.

"This is proof that Grundy is not who she says she is." Betty growled.

"Then who is she? Archie asked, with unbridled confusion.

"Obviously a scam-artist and child-rapist named Jennifer Gibson." Eddie responded, with bluntness.

"Dude, please don't call her that." Archie replied.

There was an overbearing silence over the trio, and soon enough Archie had heard enough of what had come to the purifying light of day. Everything he knew had been thrown into question, the woman he loved was not the person he thought she was and it scared him. The autopsy revealed he had been killed a week after July the fourth, but just because she was with him on that day didn't mean she wasn't involved in it, if she ever was at all. Betty had groaned loudly, turning around and heading into her house before Eddie had returned to his own home.

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

"Are you just going to stand there?" The music teacher had asked. Archie had remained stony-faced ever since he had arrived at her house that afternoon. "Archie? Talk to me, what is it?"

Archie pulled no punches either. "Is your real name, is it Jennifer Gibson?"

He could see it immediately, how quickly her shoulders dropped and her face of enjoyment in his presence had been swapped with one of worry and sadness. Eddie and Betty were right, that niggling thought that they had planted in the back of his mind the night before had been right. He hated them for it, ever even trying to find out what was happening when they said they would leave it. He would have done it, he would have sorted things out properly and now Miss Grundy was in danger because of their own nosiness.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

"Archie..." Grundy tried to speak.

"Why the new identity, the moving from place to place? Tell me the truth, please."

It was like she could barely even look at him, the mere fact that he had decided to confront her on such a thing seemed to show her disappointment or sadness to him in all of it's tragic glory. Archie didn't want this, but he knew that deep down his friends might be right. She might be dangerous, if not to him than to somebody else in the school. What if Eddie was right again? What if she had assaulted Jason Blossom or Tomoko Yoshida, it was all a big what-if? She struggled to find the words, looking at her crimson red carpet as if it were the only thing in the room, as if the young boy she had been grooming had not asked her the questions he had done seconds ago. She pulled off her glasses and waved her hands around, frantically searching for the words before placing her glasses on the nearby mantle above the fire.

"I…. I was in a bad relationship." She began. "I was married, to a man who would come from work every night late, and drunk, and with a temper. One night, I ended up in the emergency room with broken ribs and a shattered collar bone. The next day, he could barely remember the fight and he promised that it would never happen again. It did, again. So many times, it happened again and again and again. Eventually, I just… left. Got a divorce and changed my name, I came here and well… I met you Archie."

Archie didn't want to believe it, he wanted to side with his friends and accuse her of lying. Yet, he couldn't. She wasn't lying. Underneath the dirty-blonde hair and the soft steel-eyes was a broken woman, and he could see her come to light before his very eyes. He could see the scars on her collarbone, the work of tireless doctors putting shattered bones back together only for them to be broken and bruised for only God knows how many more nights before she left.

The young musician stepped over to the teacher, quite literally towering over her before he pulled her into a hug.

Betty and Eddie were wrong.

He knew it.

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

"Intense, right?"

"Yeah, you're telling me."

The two boys and the one girl had been walking around the streets of their home town, with Archie having immediately caught up with them after having seen Grundy. He did not intend to rub what he had found out in their face, but merely repeat what he had been told by Grundy. It was a tragic story, there was no doubt about it. Whether it was true or not was Eddie's main thought but the more he heard about it, the more he was convinced that it might well have been true.

"It's horrible. That's why she has the fake ID and the gun." Archie explained.

There was a small silence from Eddie and Betty, with the blonde girl quickly firing back. "It still doesn't make what she did to you in any case any better."

"Betty, she didn't really do anything. Betty, you have to accept that. I'm all she has right now." Archie explained.

Eddie sighed. "I don't want to sound like the sceptic, but you are way over your head man. Pull out of the game while you still have your career in once piece, as the coaches would say. You are in a relationship with somebody who's cutting you off from everyone else around you. It's toxic, man."

Betty was the next one to say something to her friend. Miss Grundy may well not have been the best person to anybody, especially not in the eyes of the federal government as well as Archie's close friends but it needed to be said and Archie wouldn't do anything if it wasn't said at all. "You need to do what is right for you, and it's just as right for her too. What she did to you is wrong."

Archie straightened himself up, as if the word of God had been spoken to him, as if he had a higher purpose. "I swear, I am going to speak to her about ending it." 

"Thank you, Archie."

Archie nodded. "But not on your terms. I'm going to do it on mine, and on nobody else's."

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

"I still can't believe that you didn't tell anyone about what was happening with Archie, you or Jughead!" Betty had said in disbelief as she had gotten ready for their trip to the last picture show at the Twilight.

Ever since they had gotten back from seeing Archie, Eddie and Betty had gone back to the Cooper Residence and decided to slum it there until the show would start. Talking about the whole Archie-Grundy situation had become a second nature to the both of them, the pair having investigated further than they should have, even breaking the law to find evidence of suspicious behaviour. Now, it felt like the two had began to become investigative journalists of their own town. Eddie had noted that Betty seemed to have a knack for finding out the possible headlines specifically for the school as well as others for her parents' own newspaper outlet.

"I mean, a promise is a promise." Eddie had mumbled as he stared at the roof of Betty's room, not bothering to look as she pulled on a fresh tee-shirt. "You know what me, Jughead and Archie are like when it comes to that."

"That is not an excuse to not tell the authorities, which need I remind you, we still have not done." Betty grumbled. "If anything, we have made it worse for Archie because we never talked to the Sheriff about this."

"Hey, we don't have to worry about those two any more, do we?" Eddie said. "Besides, I don't think he would have listened and we might as well have been getting ourselves into trouble. Even if we had any solid evidence, we would have probably gotten criminal records. Look, it's all sorted out now isn't it?"

Eddie rolled over on Betty's mattress, looking at her just as the tee-shirt fell over her bare stomach. Eddie had quickly gotten home and changed, swapping his own shirt and hoodie for a white button-up shirt and some skinny black jeans, Timberland boots covering his feet which he kept from touching Betty's blanket. Betty shook her head with a smile on her face, throwing on a pastel pink sweater to go with her own white jeans.

"I'm not going to forget how the only reason you never said anything to anyone was because you promised not to tell." Betty teased. "I'm holding that over you forever now."

"You know I keep to them, I always have done. Remember when I promised that I would do your homework for a year in elementary?" Eddie asked. "Did I not remain dedicated to that?"

"You did indeed, but if I promised you I would give a kiss on the cheek for example if you jumped of a bridge into the Sweetwater River, would you do it?" Betty inquired. "Wait, please don't-" 

"For you, anything my dear!"

To further amplify how dedicated he was, Edward leapt up from the bed and went over to his favourite blonde. He was one of the largest boys in the entire school, and although Chuck Clayton and Nick Hernandez might have towered over him, he still towered over Betty. She gave a playful glare as he looked down on her, his head slowly lowered towards hers, as the two continued staring deep into the recesses of each others' souls before Betty and Eddie's heads tapped gently against each other.

Betty gave a small smile. "Eddie, if you even try and pick me up I swear to-no!"

She had already felt his long arms snake around her legs and lift her up from the floor, and automatically her legs wrapped themselves around his waist. The pair smiled as Betty's arms clasped around his neck. Looking from above, she could never gather why he had been so unlucky in love. Tomoko Yoshida and him had been a noticeable couple, but their own insecurities about what they did in their spare time eventually drove them apart, as well as forcing them into focusing on what they wanted to do instead of focusing on each other. Eddie might not have told anyone else but she knew of the Serpent from Southside High School he had been seeing over the summer but that was just another fling that didn't last too long. The last she had heard from him about his girl troubles was that he might have wanted to date Josie, the leader of the Pussycats since they were paired in a few subjects and he thought that there was a decent amount of chemistry but nothing else since.

"You know, every time you do this it's always in front of someone else." Betty pointed out. "Like you're showing off something. My question is, what are you trying to show off?"

"Oh, you still make me sound like every other typical douchebag jock in the school, Miss Cooper. I've got nothing to show off." Eddie admitted, still holding her in his arms.

"I doubt that very much, Mister Lodge." Betty quickly shot back, a smirk on her face. "You've got a nice car, a nice home, simple home life. It's like you have the perfect and you haven't had to work for it."

Eddie quickly threw her up a little bit, readjusting where he had his hands, firmly keeping them tensed under her knees. "And you've been to that house before, you've seen everything in there and how it is with my dad. You know I worked for a lot of it." 

"You wouldn't think that if you were Archie or Jughead." Betty whispered.

"And I'm not Archie or Jughead, am I?"

There was a certain stillness in the room, as if time had decided to stop then and there. As if they were the only ones who were on the planet, the only two people who ever mattered. They moved closer towards the other, Betty's head leaning in towards Eddie's as their eyes closed. How it had seemed so natural that the two of them had never even noticed what they were doing.

"What the hell are we doing right now?" Eddie whispered, quiet enough for only Betty to hear.

"I don't know, but I like it." Betty barely purred. "I really like it."

The two turned quiet once more, and soon just as they felt their lips begin to brush, there was a loud cough at the door. In what they thought was their moment of solitude, just their moment of passion and intimacy they had been caught by the harpy that was Betty's mother. Meticulously dressed even when she was doing housework, Alice Cooper carried a washing basket filled with her daughter's clothes, positively glaring at her daughter and her male companion.

"I don't think I need to make myself clear on what I am expecting of you, do I, Edward?" She growled. "Don't think I don't know about what your cousin or your uncle have done before they arrived."

"Mom, please, he hasn't done anything wrong." Betty tried to reassure her.

Eddie slowly lowered his friend to the floor. "It's okay, Betty. I understand, Mrs. Cooper. You don't like me or my family, I get it. Not a lot of people do at this point in time. It's okay. It's not like I'm responsible for what my uncle did."

"You know Eddie, have you ever heard of the saying 'the sins of the father pass on to the son'?" Alice queried. "I feel like you might not have."

"Hiram Lodge isn't my father, Mrs. Cooper." Eddie admitted. "That's a line for my cousin, if you ever see her."

"Yes well, don't think I don't know about you and your father living in a little forest home as if nothing is happening. I have no doubts that your dear uncle is using you and your father as a storage unit for everything he's doing right now."

"Accusations need proof, and he's not doing anything in a cell in Montreal, is he?" Eddie catechised.

Alice harrumphed, placing the basket down on the bed before she grabbed a pair of Betty's socks and opened one of the drawers. Opening the draw and looking at what was inside, she dropped the socks to the floor and pulled out the gun, the same gun the pair had taken from Grundy's car. It was as if the devil himself had possessed the elder Cooper, looking at Eddie as if he was all that she hated within the town of Riverdale as well as the world they lived in. She quickly opened the chamber, taking out the bullets and placing the gun to the side with bullets strewn next to it. "Tell me exactly what you two have been doing right this instant, and tell me the truth."

"We-" Betty began, quickly being cut off by Eddie.

"I broke into Miss Grundy's car." Eddie admitted. "I found a gun and I didn't know where to put it, so I gave it to Betty."

"Seems like the quote applies to you, doesn't it, young man? Now, why did you break into the car of your music teacher?" Alice asked, focusing her gaze onto the boy next to her daughter. "Betty, get away from him right now."

Eddie sighed. "It's better she knows the truth, Betty. Otherwise I have a feeling she'll just use it as a hit-piece against my family."

It looked as if Betty's heart had broken right then and there, because she didn't doubt what Edward had told her and she didn't doubt her mother's ability to be vicious and mean-spirited. _The Riverdale Register_ was more of a gossip rag than it was a newspaper for her mother, and a hit-piece on the Lodge family was something that did not need printing. A false story demeaning a boy for one petty crime was not worth forgoing the crime of a child molester. Betty nodded, and her eyes began to water.

"Yes, the truth. Now." Alice demanded.

"Miss Grundy is a child predator."

"Excuse me?" Alice asked. "Repeat that for me, young man? Are you saying your music teacher is a sexual predator who gets her kicks messing with our children?"

Eddie sighed. "Yes. She's been preying on Archie since the summer break."

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

It was safe to say that Alice Cooper had very little respect for the Lodge Family that used to and still did partially inhabit Riverdale. They were troublemakers, the whole lot of them and what they did in New York was beyond forgiveable. Embezzlement of company funds, illegal trafficking and more had slowly began to come to light from what the regular operations of Lodge Industries were. Whilst the young Edward Lodge and his father Julian might not have been the ones doing the work themselves, Alice had her own suspicions on what was going on with them. They hid away in their forest resort, a five-star monument to whatever criminal misdeeds their uncle had done for the family. She knew there was something fishy there, but her own gut instinct classify as evidence.

If only it did, she would probably have made Riverdale a crime-free town.

The two teenagers remained in the back seat of the station wagon, having not said a word since they had left the Cooper residence and remaining silent since. What was more important to her now was the possibility of a child predator being able to raid their town and prey on their children. A feeling about two men from outside of town maybe doing illegal things was trumped by the positive identification of somebody definitely abusing a child in such a horrifying way.

Parking at the start of the drive-way into the Twilight Drive-In, Alice had stomped out with her flash light in hand as she scoured the parked cards until she could see Fred Andrews' truck. The humble construction worker and former army volunteer had been relatively unaware of his son's midnight activities, but Alice had caught the red-headed teen escaping from time to time, enough to know he was going about doing something suspicious.

She knew he was trouble, right from the start. She soon spotted the truck, with Hermione Lodge quickly dodging into the darkness and leaving Fred alone in the truck. Alice stormed over, slamming the end of her light into the window, with Fred almost leaping out of his skin due to the shock.

"I am sorry to be interrupting your adultery, Fred, but you need to come with me!" Alice had screeched.

"Alice, what are you..."

"It's about the kids!"

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

It was widely known by students and parents that Miss Grundy had a private music studio in her own home, it allowed her better access to her own equipment and Riverdale's own music facilities were woefully underfunded. Therefore, they had allowed Miss Grundy to practice music lessons outside of class where her students could make the most out of their lessons with her. What some didn't know was that she used her home as a nest for her own nocturnal activities as well as preying on the very students she was attempting to educate.

So when Archie Andrews had burst through the door to her music studio, present in hand, much to the surprise of Grundy herself it was very much a surprise. The tall red-headed boy had a bright smile on his face, much like he had done when he came to see her usually. The boy was talented, she knew that. She had seen it in many others, but he had little experience. He needed to work on it, but his song-writing, whilst cliché had been an amazing skill which had almost grown into maturity as much as his ability to play the guitar. There was something about him that Grundy knew, something that would take him very far if he decided to play his music and go professional.

Of course, that was if he made the cut.

The teacher folded her arms behind her back. "No Drive-In for you, tonight?"

"No no, I, uh, I got you something." Was the boy's response.

Grundy smiled. "Is this to make me feel better about my tragic past?" She joked.

"No, it's a… a thank you gift for everything you have done for me."

The teacher took the box and sat down next to the drum kit nearby. It was a thin but long box, a small and neat string of red fabric adorned the box. Grundy untied the bow and opened the box, to see an ornate and well-made cello bow. "Archie, there is no way you could have possibly been able to afford this..."

"It's okay, I sold one of my guitars. I didn't need it, and I wanted to focus on my writing anyway so it's a win-win."

"You don't need to thank me, you shouldn't… thank me." The pair of them noticed that she was fiddling with Archie's shirt buttons, and the hesitant look in his eye said all it needed to say.

"Miss Grundy, I don't want to end our lessons but I..." Archie stopped. "I think we should end them."

"Is that what you think we should do?" She asked the muscular boy. She looked down at her feet, and slowly wrapped her hands in his own. "So, the bow, it's a goodbye gift."

Archie smiled. It was a real genuine smile, the smile she would see whenever one of his friends had decided to accompany him on the way to one of their lessons. "It's a 'see you around the halls' gift, a 'don't forget me' gift."

Grundy smiled. It was an odd feeling, but she was proud of him for being able to know when to stop. This was a boy who knew right from wrong, who had defended her from the police as well as his friends and had loved her as much as she had loved him.

"It's unlikely I will ever forget you, Archie Andrews." Grundy stated, before leaning into his toned chest for a tight and passionate hug. They had quickly looked to each other, as if they were about to kiss once more before they heard the door slam open.

They couldn't have heard the door to her own home slam, the soundproofing in the sound studio was too thick but nobody could mistake the sound of the door slamming with four people rushing inside of her home. The two blonde females, the older male who she knew as Archie's father and the young man she had seen around the school had just barged into her home. Grundy knew why they had done so, and she knew her time with Archie was now up.

"Well well, speak of the devils and then we find them!" The older blonde exclaimed.

"Can somebody please tell me what you are doing barging into my home?"

Alice Cooper had been the first to oblige the predator's questions. "Of course! Archie, would you like to share with us all what you and Miss Robinson have been doing during your music lessons?" The eldest female in the room demanded. "And please don't leave out any of the lurid and smutty details, because Betty keeps a very meticulous diary and Edward has already told me his side of the story. I am more than happy to fill in the details for your father."

There was stone-cold silence in the room, with Archie looking at Eddie and Betty, his first thoughts having immediately rushed to the fact that they had betrayed him and told Mrs. Cooper as well as his father. Then he saw the tear stains on Betty's face as well as Eddie's dismay and sorrow on how he held himself. He had slumped, instead of keeping himself straight up and professional like he usually did. He could only assume one of the adult's had found out by accident. It was when Betty managed to mouth a muted 'I'm sorry' that his suspicions were confirmed.

The fiery journalist had soon moved towards the now-timid music teacher with hatred in her eyes, disgust and pure burning hatred. "I thought I would never see the day when Riverdale had been infiltrated by child predators. It was the one thing I thought we could keep our town safe from, but you were right under our nose, for a year wasn't it?"

Archie had soon decided that fighting fire with fire was a good idea. "Miss Grundy isn't a predator, she's a good person. I went after her, everything that happened was what I wanted to happen."

"See, neither of them are denying it are they? Besides, we have enough evidence to get her on charges of child molestation. I say we go to the Sheriff."

"No, you cannot do that. Eddie, Dad, she can't do that." Archie pleaded.

"No, she can't."

Fred stepped forward and stood next to Alice. "You boys are young, you don't know how this is going to affect the both of you, and you too Betty. We need to see the Sheriff."

"We can't see the Sheriff!" Eddie finally exclaimed. "You don't get it, all of you except Betty and Mrs. Cooper!"

"What do you mean?" Grundy had managed to mutter. "What do you mean you can't talk to the sheriff?"

"Because the only evidence we have against you is coming from Archie, and he won't talk. The other evidence we have was obtained illegally. We can't use it unless I want to get myself arrested personally." Eddie admitted. "I'm sorry, Miss Grundy, but I broke into your car last night because I thought you had something to do with killing Jason Blossom."

"Excuse me? You broke into my car?" Grundy almost shouted.

"Miss Grundy, no offence but that's the least of your problems and it's the one thing that won't get you arrested."

Alice smirked. "Well there's no surprise there! I want you to both see the kind of people that Archie and Edward and Miss Grundy truly are. They should be on trial! A thief and two degenerates who think what they have is a relationship like everyone else! Well, the world doesn't work like that."

"Wait a minute." Fred growled, a stern look in his eye. Archie had seen that look before, like when he had came back from Afghanistan. "This is what it's all about, your crazy grudge against my teenage son and his friend? Are you serious, Alice?"

"What? Are you siding with your kids and the child predator right now, Fred?"

"No, I'm siding with my son and his friends. You are insane, trying to get me to keep my son away from your daughter, making one of his friends look like a thief and a criminal when he clearly isn't. I might not agree with my son on everything." Fred growled, looking at Grundy. "But I know when to stop attacking like a mad dog. Archie, we are going right now."

"Wait, Dad."

"Son..."

"Dad, please!" Archie begged, earning a few more vital moments. "Please, Mrs. Cooper don't hurt Miss Grundy just because you want to hurt me."

"Oh, Archie, this isn't about hurting people." Alice divulged. "This is about doing what's right."

"That's bullshit and you know it." Eddie muttered.

"Excuse me, young man, what did you just say?"

Eddie straightened himself and looked right into the eyes of the she-wolf. "I said it's bullshit and you know damn well that it's bullshit!"

"How dare you!"

"How dare I? How dare you try and stop me and Archie being friends with your daughter? Why, because we don't come from the right family? Because a member of our family committed a crime? What, are we not good enough for you?" Eddie bellowed. "I might not have been on Archie's side on this, but he said he would finish this on his own terms and that's what it looked like he was doing before we barged in here! How hard is that for any of us to understand!"

"Alice, I swear to God if you even try to print anything in your damn newspaper..." Fred stood tall, towering over everybody in the room.

It was then at that moment, Alice had totally lost control. Betty had finally regained her self-composure. "I will tell everyone that I broke into Miss Grundy's car."

"Wait, Betty..." Eddie began, only to be silenced by Betty's green eyes warning him off.

"I will tell everyone, that I robbed her. That I made up a story of them being together! It'll be like I finally snapped. Like Polly, it will prove what everyone already thinks about us, that crazy runs in _that_ _family_." Betty spoke, tears threatening to well in her eyes. "Like mother, like daughter."

"You wouldn't dare..." Alice began, only to be cut off from the one person who had barely got a word in edgeways when it came to the entire discussion.

Miss Grundy.

"I'll quit. I'll quit my job, will that satisfy all of you?"

"Yes, it has to." Betty replied, before turning to her mother. "And I absolutely would dare, Mom."

Alice looked at Archie, staring him dead in the eye as Eddie walked over to his friend. "She has to leave the town."

"Like hell she does!" Archie shouted, soon being quieted when his father rested a hand on his shoulder. "Why does she have to leave town?" He asked his father.

"Because it's what is best, for all of us. Even her. Alice will keep her word." 

"I will."

Grundy had already stood up to leave, cello bow in hand. "I'll pack up my things and I'll be gone by the morning."

"Miss Grundy!"

As Grundy left to begin to pack, Archie had called out to her in a desperate last-gasp in attempt to salvage something, anything of what they had. They could all see the tiny music teacher trembling as she turned to look at Archie, tears threatening to spill down her face. She didn't say a word, instead turning away and continuing on to leave Archie in the room with his friends, father and would be character assassin.

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

 _You are not what you say you are, son. You are not selfish, and you are not stupid…_

 _Betty, Polly kept so many secrets from us…_

 _I won't have any more secrets between us, not any more. Not if I am going to keep you safe…_

 _What's my name, Mom?_

 _I am Elizabeth, not Polly. Archie is not Jason, Edward is not Jason so stop using them as an excuse to control my life!_

 _All of those sentences were said to children and adults that night. A night which had traumatised three young members of Riverdale's community, finally witnessing with their own eyes the darkness that had descended upon the town in the wake of the first murder in two decades. That veil of purity, the shell of safety had been lifted, exposing them all to the true black-hearted and devilish people that could have inhabited the town they had all home._

 _That whilst they could have ended the prospective lives of two young men and thrown a woman in jail, it did not happen due to extraordinary circumstances. That because of one blonde girl, brave enough to stand up to the devil she lived with every day, that she had saved those three lives, even if one of them should not have been saved at all._

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

Fred Andrews had been kind enough to sit down Julian Lodge that night, taking in his own son as well as bringing Edward home to their forest manor. Archie and Eddie had sat down on the leather couch in silence as Fred and Julian talked, with Julian being rather off-putting towards the Andrews man with how down to Earth he was being for a man who was so wealthy. The two boys remained silent as they listened to their parents talk, with Fred soon thanking Edward and Julian for standing by him and his son than with Alice and the newspaper.

It wasn't Alice that Eddie was worried about however, but more of how his father would.

A small tap on the shoulder signalled that Eddie would follow his father upstairs and onto his father's balcony. A well-carved set of wooden chairs and table allowed them to look over the main road to the North Side of Riverdale. The two Lodge men had remained quiet for a few moments, fluctuating between halcyon tranquillity as they listened to the occasional brushing of foliage that surrounded their house. Eddie had sighed heavily numerous times as they sat down, with his father lighting a large cigar as he waited for his son to say anything which he could qualify as something reasonable. Julian knew his son, he knew he had been gifted with a decent moral compass, but using it in the right way was an issue.

Edward was aggressive, feisty and temperamental and passionate. They were good things in the most part when he wasn't getting into fights or breaking the law.

The teen finally muttered an apology, a half-hearted 'I'm sorry' before he tried to leave and go to bed,

"Edward. Sit down." Julian ordered, and his son did as he had been commanded.

"I am sorry, sir." Eddie repeated. "I didn't know what to do."

"I know, Fred explained everything to me." Julian assured his boy. "I am not angry with you, son. I understand why you did what you did."

"You do?"

"Yes, I do. I remember before I took you into my home when I was your age. I did many bad things for the right reasons and I can only say I wish I did not do them. Look at what I have."

"You have a nice house." Eddie muttered with a grin of sarcastic mirth.

Julian shook his head. "Life is not about material things boy, it's about what you do with it, and who you spend it with. I understand that Archie is your friend, but please, if anything else happens. Come to me before rushing off. Please, I don't want to lose the one thing in life I can be proud of."

Before Eddie could answer, his phone rumbled in his pocket.

 **Betty: I'm so sorry about today. Xx**

 **Betty: Is there anything I can do to make it up to you? Xxx**

 **Betty: If there is, please tell me tomorrow morning. I need to go. Goodnight xxx**

"Is everything alright, son?" Julian asked his child.

Eddie nodded. "Yeah, I think everything is gonna be alright." The Lodge heir stood up from the chair and took in a deep breath of the Fox Forest air, before he looked at his father. "I think I'm gonna go to bed, Dad."

"Okay." Julian dead-panned, before he looked at the child he had raised. "I love you, son."

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

 _ **And that is Chapter 4 of Season 1, wrapped up neatly in a bow for your enjoyment.**_

 _ **HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS YA FILTHY ANIMALS**_

 _ **-A Very Merry Old Boy**_


	11. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10: Needs and Wants**_

 _Every single town has one._

 _The spooky house at the end of the street, that all the kids would avoid._

 _The haunted house at the very top of the hill._

 _Our house, Riverdale's house, was Thorn Hill. The Blossom Family's mansion._

 _It had it's very own graveyard, littered with the dead and buried ancestors and more recent family members of the Blossom family tree._

 _And trapped inside it's ageing walls like some Gothic heroine, was Cheryl Blossom, still grieving for her beloved brother Jason._

 _Linked in death, as they were in life._

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

It had been a month since Jason's body had been found at the side of the Sweetwater River. A month since Kevin Keller and Moose Mason had accidentally stumbled upon his waterlogged corpse, skin bloated and eyes white as he remained firmly planted under the water. Cheryl never wanted to believe that her brother was dead, she knew he wasn't dead. He'd ran way, like he always said he would do. Cheryl never thought he would really do it. She just thought he would disappear, with the money he had taken and stashed away somewhere, taking Polly away whilst never being caught dead near their cursed little town ever again.

It was an admirable goal, one that Cheryl wished she could do sometimes. She hated the town. She hated the school. She hated the people. She hated her home. She even hated what had remained of her damned family. The one person she could really put herself to care about was her Nana Rose. She was old and slowly going senile, but she had remained quiet in order to continue her appearance as an ever-present threat towards her son and his wife.

Cheryl hesitated to call her Mother. Cheryl hesitated to call him Father.

They hated her, Cheryl could see it in their eyes. She was nothing to them, useless and pathetic. It was as if they had never heard of the concept of grieving, leaving her to try and find a way of getting out all the rage she had stored inside. Rage for herself, for her own stupidity, rage for letting Jason go off and get himself killed. She didn't even get a chance to find him, to save him from whoever had shot him dead.

The heiress of the Blossom fortune rose from the bed she had been lying on, quickly grabbing at her chest to avoid the imaginary hand of her dead brother she had seen in her dreams. She had fallen asleep in his room once more, again it was just one more of her vain attempts to grieve. Wasted sheets of paper with scribbles and garbled words were forgotten under her legs, the paper warped and folded as she had tossed and turned in her sleep. She had seen him again, her brother but not her brother. No, Jason was gone. All she had seen was his bloated carcass, pale eyes looking through her as he reached forward to grab her, to do what she feared he would.

To drag her into the depths of the Sweetwater with him. It was a twisted trick by her own mind, to taunt her with what she had wanted since he had gone. To be with her twin, together forever.

 _Deep breaths, Cheryl. Deep breaths, control yourself…_ She thought to herself. _It was just a nightmare, get over yourself…_

She turned to her left, sensing the light that spread through the open door frame and into the entrance of Jason's room. The silhouette of her unfeeling mother occupied the frame, a snifter of whiskey present in her hand as she looked at her daughter. "How many more times do I have to tell you, no more sleeping in Jason's bed."

Cheryl curled herself up, like she had reverted to a little nine-year old as she wrapped her hands around her pale knees. "I was working on the eulogy. For Jay-Jay."

"Don't bother, you won't be speaking at his memorial." Penelope Blossom spoke, before downing the brown liquid. Cheryl gave her a cold look. "God knows what you might say. Something to humiliate us. No."

Cheryl had noticed that her mother had picked up one of the stray pieces of paper that she had been writing on until she had fallen asleep. The sheet itself had scribbled out words on the front, and she knew it was a failed attempt at a draft of her eulogy. Jason had meant the most to her out of anyone, more than her parents and now all she had was her grandmother, who was not long for the world anyhow. Penelope glanced over the words, smirking as she crushed the paper in her hands and left the room, leaving Cheryl to contemplate even trying to write anything for her brother at all.

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

"Boy, you coming home early tonight or are you hanging out with your friends again?" Julian had asked, taking a sip of his coffee as he looked at his son.

"No, Dad. I'm gonna be busy helping out some of the lightweight guys at the wrestling team tonight. I might be home a little bit later than usual, if that's alright." Eddie had replied, making himself a smaller cup of coffee. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all, boy, I'm just gonna be helping your auntie out at home. There's a lot of paperwork that needs doing, about your uncle's business."

"Ah." Eddie grumbled. "Okay, you need my signature for anything?"

"If we do, I'll bring it to you when I get back."

Eddie had almost forgotten about the entire family dilemma, he had been so caught up with trying to get Archie away from Grundy that he had totally missed out on how busy his father and aunt must have been trying to sort out the mess that Uncle Hiram had made with his business. It had not been Eddie's business, nor Veronica's business even though their own names would be involved at some point in the near future. Even though they were barely able to drive, their names were included on the Lodge Industries' Board of Directors. It was an absolutely terrible idea, but Eddie had been told by his father that it was a method of control. To deadlock any kind of executive decision that the executives might have made, and replace them with people who would agree with what Hiram wanted to do.

It was more of a surprise to both Julian and Edward that their own relative had not been arrested sooner for just generally trying to get around the rules of his own company. How he had managed to get so far without being found out until his surprise arrest was a question that nobody had the answer too.

"Just be careful getting home, okay?" Julian had looked to his son. "With this killer about, I want you home as soon as possible, _sono Chiaro?"_

" _Si._ I'll be fine, dad. I'm gonna get gone, see you later!"

It had not been a long drive to the school, instead Eddie had managed to get to the school relatively on time. He had filed in his presence at the reception so he didn't have to go to his home room and instead went straight into the Blue & Gold office. As soon as he had marched towards the office, he had seen Trevor Brown walking out, smiling sweetly to himself as he had left the offices. The younger brother of the Pussycat, Valerie, had been a nice but well-reserved sort type. Him and Eddie got along at least, and if Eddie had anything to say, it would only be good things.

"Hey, Trev. What you up to?" Eddie had asked. "Sports column, I'm guessing?"

"Oh, hey Eddie. And no, I was just confirming something with Betty." Trevor said, completely unaware of the connotations. "Are you going in for the sports, I figured it would be Kevin writing that."

"No, Kevin's the gossip columnist. I'll see you around." 

"See ya around, Eddie. Good luck with your wrestling!" Trevor yelled, as he had already walked halfway down the hall, receiving a half-hearted 'thank you' in return.

As soon as Eddie had walked into the office, he could see that Betty, Jughead and Kevin were already inside. The whiteboard usually used for their storyboarding and possible articles had been totally replaced with a massive map of the entire town of Riverdale. Both the North and South Side of the town were included, and pictures of the Blossom Family had been scattered in all four corners of the board, with Jason's in the middle. A sheet of paper listing off possible motives if it was a familial killing, but a large piece of red string was coming from Jason's picture towards two other sheets, written as 'NO MOTIVE?' and 'GANGLAND ACCIDENT?'. Eddie had dropped his satchel on his own desk, looking at the board with raised eyebrows. Jughead looked around the board, a solemn look in his eye as he focused on the board, examining it with keen interest.

Eddie had been the first to speak on his arrival. "Good morning, my murder-obsessed comrades-in-arms. How are we doing on such a fine morning and why was Trevor Brown in the office if I am allowed to inquire?" The aspiring wrestler announced, a posh inflection on his voice making him sound more noble and educated than he really was in actuality.

"What you didn't know?" Kevin looked towards his friend.

"Didn't know what?" Eddie said in response.

"Betty Cooper is going on a date. A date with Trev." Kevin informed, as if he were speaking to the entire school. "Does Mama Cooper know about that?"

 _A date with Trevor Brown. Well, that is definitely a surprise first thing in the morning. Suppose we didn't mean much then, did we?_ Eddie's inner thoughts declared. _We were just an accident, la la la la la la…_

"Wow, that was very… unexpected." Edward added. "First thing in the morning too, didn't expect that at all when I woke up."

Betty had crooked her head with Kevin's comments, even more so when she turned to look at her close friend with his own. Jughead had been quiet, observing the board as if he were waiting for it to physically move. The look she gave to Edward all but shouted 'Please believe me, it's not a date!' but Eddie had remained silent as well when she turned to Kevin. "Please, it's not like I'm on house arrest."

An unbreakable stare from Kevin had managed to get her to reveal the whole truth of the matter. "Okay, she's at a 'Women in Journalism spa-retreat meeting or whatever it was, look it's not a date-date."

Always the realist, Jughead soon jumped in with the duo of boys to tease the blonde some more. "To be real, Betty, you did just call it a date. You literally said 'it's a date'."

"Oh, that's just my cover." Betty had admitted, somewhat unconvincingly. "It's really an intelligence-gathering mission. We should focus on the one thing we have that your dad doesn't have right now, and that's the kids. We might not have known Jason very well but some others might have done! Trev was on the water-polo team with Jason before he died, that's why I am gonna be meeting him later. It's all very important."

"Yeah… sure..." Eddie drawled, extending the words with a smirk before the school bell rang, alerting them for their first class. "Well, Kevin, ready for gym?"

The sheriff's son ran a hand through his perfectly combed hair once more. "Oh boy, am I ready for gym class? Oh, I'm so ready!"

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

Eddie's first two lessons had gone off relatively without a hitch, although having gym class first thing in the morning was not the most ideal thing he could have asked for. He had five more hours of actual school work and then another two helping out the wrestling team after school. He was already tired out from running laps around the field for an hour, throwing himself into books and then throwing himself and others on the ground just meant more energy being expended than there was being put in. It was even worse when his inner voice had began to mock him, taking the razzing and self-contempt to a whole new level as to how Eddie had been taken for a fool.

 _Really? Intelligence gathering, pfffff, please! It's a date! You know it, I know it obviously and so does everybody else! You, Edward Lodge, have been taken for a fool by Betty Cooper! Of all people! Ha!_

"So, Betty, you are postively radiating Nicola Sparks! Tell me everything about this Trev!" Veronica had almost squealed, which she literally almost did as soon as she heard from Kevin about her 'date' with the water-polo star.

"Oh, there's nothing to tell." Kevin added. "Trev's only one of Betty's sources, there is nothing romantic about that!"

Veronica had almost screamed as she sat down on the bleachers, taking a seat next to Eddie. Kevin had began to natter on about Trev, with Jughead continuing to give one-word responses whilst Betty sat next to Archie as he was flipping through his strategy booklet of plays for the football team. It was no small secret that Archie had now made the Varsity team, and now there was the captaincy competition. Eddie just hoped it wouldn't end like the wrestling one did.

 _Betty is now sitting next to Archie. So, she is now officially taking Edward Lodge, Trevor Brown and Archie Andrews for a ride on the roller-coaster known as Friend Zone City! All Aboard!_

"So, Archie, what's life like in a PG-World?" Veronica asked, taking a few chips out of her plastic bag.

Archie turned to look at Eddie's cousin, which soon led to Betty and Kevin and Jughead and Eddie to look at their cousin, confused by her comment. "PG, Post-Grundy. What, too soon?" She commented, placing the chips delicately into her mouth.

"Coach Clayton said I have a chance of being the Varsity Captain, so I am not thinking about anything else right now." Archie muttered in response.

"What, not even thinking about breathing?" Eddie added in jest.

Jughead gave him a light kick to the side. "He doesn't have to think about breathing to breath, you idiot."

"Argh, so you're back to being boring?" Veronica asked aloud, leading to the three boys giving her a death glare as she continued consuming her chips.

 _She can be a heartless bitch, sometimes…_

Betty, being the kind-hearted and pure girl that she was, placed her hand over Archie's. "Don't you think you might be throwing yourself into football so you don't have to think about Grundy and singing?"

"I'm not throwing myself into anything, Betty." Archie had reaffirmed, both himself and his friends. "I'm trying to get my life back on track."

That break period had been filled with sarcastic and cutting jibes and remarks. Veronica had been absolutely ruthless in commenting on Archie's former relationship with his music tutor, whilst Betty had remained constantly in Archie's corner, trying to convince him to not drop his singing and songwriting. Veronica soon found herself ingrained in gossip with Kevin, nattering and muttering about the date of Betty and Trevor whilst Jughead and Eddie were muttering about the murder-board that was now present in the Blue & Gold office, the most accurate representation of what Sheriff Keller would have had back at the Riverdale Sheriff's office. The group of six were soon interrupted by the elder sister of Trevor, Valerie Brown who had managed to escape from the clutches from the other Pussycats, Josie and Melody.

Valerie had the wildest hair of the group, frizzled and almost-untameable. Yet, she had managed to make it look almost normal with how it was so uncontrollable that it almost looked the very opposite. Her green eyes could pierce the soul of anyone she looked at, and Eddie would attest to such when he had seen them perform. One concert he had managed to get eye-contact with the keyboard player and backing singer, and he had not forgotten that moment either. He couldn't tell what it was about her, but she had such a unique look that it made it impossible for almost anyone to ignore her whether they talked to her or not. The fancy gold nose also didn't help, reflecting light off of whatever source decided to hit it.

"I can help with that, getting your life on track that is." Valerie began, quickly taking a seat next to Archie. "I know Miss Grundy was tutoring you."

"Understatement of the year." Veronica mumbled, gaining a few odd looks from both Betty and Eddie.

"He's a professor at Carson College, and this time every year he comes out and sources some new students for a short time. He's helped me and Josie before, you wanna meet him?" Valerie had asked, flashing a bright white smile to the red-headed student.

"Yeah, sure, that would be fantastic but, I've got my football to worry about..."

"No, Archie you can!"

Valerie smiled as the blonde pushed Archie to take her offer into account. Valerie took a piece of paper from her leather jacket and crumpled it before pushing it into Archie's jacket pocket. "Call him up quick, his spots fill out fast."

Before anybody else could have said anything from the conversation between the Bulldog and the Pussycat, the group of six were soon confronted by the grieving red widow that was Cheryl Blossom. Instead of wearing a bright crimson red like she usually did every other day, that day she was wearing an entirely black shirt and skirt, a dark burgundy trim around the neckline which amplified Cheryl's fiery red hair. Her skin tone had been pale before, but she looked even more so at that moment, her bright red lipstick contrasting to her porcelain skin.

"Sorry to interrupt you, sad breakfast club. And Eddie." Cheryl announced, biting her lip as she looked at Eddie. "But I am here to formally invite you to Jason's memorial at Thorn Hill, this weekend. To my surprise and chagrin, my mother added you to the guest list, Veronica Lodge. In case you're tempted to steal our silver candlesticks, don't. We will be searching bags." And with that, she had already marched off to her next class.

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

Sheriff Tom Keller had a relatively quiet morning, his early patrol shift being a quick patrol through the entirety of the North Side and a few streets into the South Side before heading back to the safety of the North Side. It was no secret that the Sheriff's Department was underfunded, but it was a small town and Keller was already stretched out on men as it was. The deputies and the new recruits would have to take the rest of the day, because the Blossoms had already requested his presence that morning. They were the ones that were independently funding the Sheriff's Department after all, giving him the budget that he needed to keep the crime to a minimum.

It was because of the Blossoms that their town had not fallen into the pit of depravity that it danced on the edge of, that somehow Riverdale remained somewhat hidden from the world and it's issues. At least, that it was it was until Jason's body had been found at the river's edge.

Penelope Blossom had been kind enough to let Sheriff Keller inside the manor early, walking him through the proceedings of what would be happening in the coming days. Both Penelope and Clifford had decided to invite all of Riverdale's more pressing members of the community, as well as Cheryl and Jason's grieving friends. Keller had no doubt that she would have kept them well away if it was her decision, but the boy hadn't even had a burial yet. Nobody had a chance to say goodbye, and that closure was needed before the Sheriff could get anywhere near solving the case.

That was, if the case could be solved at all.

The last murder case in Riverdale had been twenty years ago, and that was a simple investigation. A simple husband-killed-wife scenario, with plenty of evidence to convict the sick bastard and to see him sent down for life behind bars. That was not the case this time. There was always the possibility of it being an accident, but the autopsy that had been leaked due to the nosing of Alice Cooper had revealed that the body had received freezer-burn, and the gunshot wound in Jason's cranium resembled a wound that would have been closer to the eleventh of July than caused a few days later, not on the fourth of July but on the eleventh instead. That would have meant that Jason was missing for a week-long period where he may have been kidnapped, tortured and then killed.

What Keller did know was that Jason had been held in captivity, whilst Cheryl had told them of the incident at the river. If Jason had drowned, they would have recovered his body in the initial trawling of the river. They didn't, which would have meant that his body was dumped in the river after the trawling.

That meant the killer was hiding his tracks, and wasn't stupid about it either. It was just unfortunate that the river had thrown Jason's body to the edge and into the cold light of day.

"Jason's memorial will be held in here." Penelope spoke, with her husband Clifford following close behind her as the Sheriff analysed the elongated entrance room. "Before he is laid to rest in Thorn Hill's grounds. We have invited everyone on the list."

"I'm gonna need that list." Keller requested.

"And a list of staff of course, for a list of suspects. People with grudges against us, many of them members of Riverdale's found families I am sorry to say." Clifford added coldly. "Someone in this town killed Jason."

"That's our thought too, it makes sense. A lot of evidence and theoretical work had been destroyed at the station, and at my own home too. Whoever wanted Jason dead is hiding this extremely well."

"Which means there is a very real possibility that whoever killed my son will soon be in this room."

As soon as Penelope had uttered those final words, the youngest Blossom child had made her entrance. Dressed in black, Cheryl Blossom had arrived and already began confronting her mother about her idea. Allowing everybody and anybody into the grounds of Thorn Hill whilst well-intentioned, did seem like it was removing the privacy that Cheryl seemed to want for her brother's memorial. Inviting the Lodges and the Coopers especially seemed like they were throwing their wealth in everyone's faces, especially since the Lodges were already out-of-pocket barring Julian and his son. Furthermore, it was common knowledge that the Cooper and Blossom families hated each other with a passion. It was a rivalry which had transcended the concept of time itself, each member of the family having it out for their respective member of the other. Clifford Blossom hated Hal Cooper, Alice hated Penelope, and it seemed that Cheryl hated Betty Cooper with a raging fire in her heart.

"So is that why you invited the Lodges and the Coopers? Because they're suspects? To investigate them? At Jay-Jay's funeral, really? And you think I am manipulative and heartless and making this all about myself."

The look of derision and contempt for their daughter was clear to see, even the Sheriff could see it. It was as if the Blossoms had been deprived of their favoured child and left with the outcast of their family. If it was not clear that Cheryl hated her parents.

It was damn well clear that her parents hated Cheryl.

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

That night had been one of little planning for Betty. Her and Trev would go to Pop's, get some food and drinks and just talk.

That was it, just talk.

 _Preferably about Jason Blossom and what he knew about him. I'd rather this be as least awkward as possible. I'm not even in the mindset for a date. Why did I say it was a date? God, I'm such an idiot._

Betty had made her way to Pop's at around six in the evening. Once more, she had chosen her preferred colours of pink and white for her clothes and make-up. There was nothing wrong with the basics, and as soon as Trevor had walked through the door she could see that he had gone for the basics too. Black jeans and sneakers, mixed with a white button-up shirt and his Bulldogs letterman jacket. It marked him out as a sports star in their town. She didn't particularly fancy wearing the blue, white and gold for a date. Yes she might have been proud to have finally been made a River Vixen but she wasn't wearing it for the pleasure of the boys around her.

No, she was going as Betty Cooper, not one of the River Vixens.

"I think it's really great what you guys are doing for Jason." Trevor mentioned, speeding through the awkwardness of it all and into the meat of what Betty wanted. "I always thought someone else would want to know what happened." 

"You two were on the water-polo team together, were you guys close?" Betty inquired, soon sipping on her milkshake as Trevor shuffled closer so he could whisper over the dull music playing in the background of the diner.

"This is just us talking, right?"

Betty nodded, still sipping at her vanilla milkshake.

"Just because I kinda feel guilty about it. A few weeks before he disappeared, Jason started acting all weird and secretive." Trevor admitted.

 _Play it cool, just go through the motions like you would with any other interview, Betty…_

"Do you know why?" Betty asked, looking concerned as she focused on little specks of colour on the table.

"I thought it was about your sister." Trevor spoke. It was no secret that Jason and Polly had been dating. "I thought it was something to do with them when he changed."

"Changed?" Betty clung to that. Jason never really looked as if he had changed, neither physically nor mentally. He was a chilled-out guy, nothing ever serious plagued him. "Changed how?"

"He stopped talking to me, wouldn't return my calls or anything. Then he started selling off his stuff, anything and I mean anything he could get cash for, like he was ashamed of anything he had. Then I heard rumours that he was selling drugs."

"Drugs? Do you know what he was selling?" Betty needed to dig deeper, she needed to grill Trevor.

"Weed, pills, anything really was what went around." Trevor revealed. "I can't know for sure but it was around that time he started talking to me."

"And all of this started after Jason and Polly started dating?"

Trevor nodded.

 _Goddamn it, of course Jason would have dragged Polly into this. Why is this even a surprise?_

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

The 'date' as Betty's group of friends had taken to calling it had gone well. It was quiet but it was definitely not uneventful. Trevor was sweet, too sweet for anyone in Riverdale and for Betty, he just wasn't her type. Not that she had a type, but she still sometimes thought of what had happened just before Miss Grundy had been kicked out of their town. Her little encounter with Edward Lodge before they were meant to go to the last drive-in show had been so spontaneous that neither of them had even attempted to even try and talk to the other about what had happened that day.

" _What the hell are we doing right now?" Edward whispered, quiet enough so only Betty could hear._

" _I don't know but I like it." Betty purred. "I really like it."_

It was a moment she couldn't or didn't want to force out of her mind, even if she tried. The pair of them always had some sort of unspoken thing between the two of them, as if the two knew they were attracted to each other in some way yet didn't or wouldn't attempt to do anything on aforementioned attraction. It led to the pair of them finding feelings or creating crushes on others around them, with Betty having some grand vision for her and Archie whilst for Eddie it was a newfound part of himself that yearned for constant female companionship, whether it was the company of his friend Betty, his cousin Veronica or any girl he particularly took a fancy in, which was either Tomoko, Cheryl or Josie.

How the pair of Eddie and Betty had managed to put these emotions aside and find each other once more like they had done in the past was a mystery to the both of them. Betty could have sworn she saw a hint of jealousy in Eddie's glinting eyes of when he had heard she was going out on a date with Trevor. Her ribbed her for it as a joke, but deep down she knew that he had taken it somewhat seriously.

They were a millimetre away from kissing after all, if anything they might as well have been kissing then and there!

As Betty had walked home from the diner, she had soon began to walk up to her garage with her father inside, working on an old vintage car he had found at the scrapyard a few years prior. When journalism had him restless and weary, he would walk into the garage next to his house and begin to tinker with the engine, the cold air and freezing steel frame allowed his nerves to calm and sometimes Betty would join him in his dabbling in car engineering. She soon approached her father, leaning against the front of the car.

"Hey!" Her father greeted, warmly. "Perfect timing, why don't you pick up that wrench for me and start helping with some of these bolts for me."

Betty took the nearby wrench and looked into the engine, wrapping the wrench around a rogue bolt and turning it inwards before looking at her father. "Dad, every time I ask Mom about Polly, she just shuts me down. Can we please talk about it, about her? What happened, what did Jason do that was so bad?"

"Jason and Polly had a fight." Hal began, turning away before he leant on the front of the car. "Now I don't know what it was about but afterwards Polly was devastated. I came from work one day and I heard the water running from upstairs. I knocked on the door, asked Polly if everything was alright. She didn't say anything. I kicked the door down and..."

Hal had stopped, and Betty noted that her father couldn't even look her in the eye when he was telling her his version of the story. Betty had been away, an internship she had been awarded on behalf of her mother's connections had seen her out-of-state for the summer. She never knew until late August about her sister, as to why she wasn't home any more, as to why both her mother and father now hated her ex-boyfriend.

"Polly had been trying to hurt herself, Betty. That's why we had to send her away." Hal admitted. "To stop her from trying to take her own life."

Her father had not deigned to tell her any more, and he told Betty she could not call Polly or contact her in anyway. As soon as she had heard of Jason's death she had a massive setback according to the therapy centre, turning her almost catatonic for an entire month. It was something that Betty had never wanted to hear in her darkest dreams or even think about at all. Her sister meant everything to her, just like anyone in her family did. She would have been torn apart like she currently was if it was her father or mother in therapy, even if they went about life in their own unique way.

The Cooper way.

Her father had soon closed the car bonnet, and began to turn off the lights. Betty stayed in the garage, turning the lights back on as soon as Hal had left and continued tinkering with the car that remained rusting in the Cooper's pristine garage. It was a 1965 Ford Shelby Cobra, a legendary car if she said so herself. It was a unique beast, something utterly different to the bright blue Ford Focus RS that Eddie drove around in. The rust had been persistent, refusing to be scrubbed off wherever it was found until Betty had put in enough elbow grease that she had satisfied herself with until she realised that she was going to be up all night if she wanted to get anything substantial done with the car. She knew she needed help.

She ran through the house and upstairs to her room, stripping off from her pink and white sweater and jeans into her blue and black shirt and overalls before she took her phone charger down into the garage once more. Taking her phone and swiping through contacts, she soon began to ring Eddie.

"Edward Lodge speaking, how can my magnificent ass be of service?" He had answered, seemingly sounded energised.

"It's Betty, needing a friend in a moment of crisis. Are you able to come to my place for a few hours?"

There was a silence, soon followed by: "Dad! Can I go to Betty's for a few hours?!"

Betty could just about make out the mutterings which were more like screaming in the Lodge forest manor before Eddie calmly responded. "How many hours exactly?" 

"Three, but maybe more."

There was a quick scuffling sound from the mic, before Eddie's voice soon sounded more compact. "I'll be there in five minutes."

Needless to say, Eddie had gotten to the Cooper household in under five minutes, with Betty just about holding the garage door open for the taller boy so he could sneak inside. He soon slid behind the car door when Betty's father opened the door to the garage. "Betty, what are you doing?" Hal asked.

"Oh, I'm just gonna try and get some of this rust off the car before the weekend starts." Betty said. "Is that alright?"

"Sure, just try not to work yourself to death, kiddo."

"Thanks, dad."

As soon as Hal had closed the door and left the near vicinity, Eddie had soon jumped from the floor and looked at the car. His eyes had widened in shock, the fact that the Coopers had such a classic car that was rusting away in their garage was almost criminal if the father-daughter pair hadn't been trying to restore it. Eddie had looked at the blonde that had been covering for him, admiring her in the paint-stained overalls with her sleeves rolled up and her ponytail tied high. Eddie's face had remained in shock, mouthing words towards the girl in garage who continued to give him odd looks with each passing second.

"We can speak you know?" Betty finally said. "It's soundproof."

"Oh."

Betty smiled at her friend's look of amazement, as he circled the car over and over again before he ripped his hoodie off. He looked at the blonde girl dead in the eyes before he spoke. "Pinch me, and do it hard."

"What, why?" Betty asked.

"I need to be sure I'm not dreaming. I can't believe you didn't tell me you had a Cobra in your garage that still looks like it could be on the road with enough work. You know how much I love cars, right? I thought you'd tell me about this!" Eddie almost exclaimed, giggling like a child that had just woken up for Christmas morning.

"It's been a passion project for me and my dad, but we just haven't had the time to do anything with it." Betty revealed to the car-enthusiast. "I figured that if you weren't doing anything, we could get some of this rust off the car tonight?"

"I mean sure! Where's the sanding machine?"

As soon as Eddie had been given an apron by his blonde compatriot, the two had quickly gotten to work on the Cobra. With two sanding machines, the couple had began to slowly sand off the peeling paint and rust that had managed to stick itself to the classic sports car. The fact it had been rusted for so long but still looked salvageable was a miracle, and as the two continued filing off the rust they took regular breaks so they could actually talk about what they had been doing since school had finished. As they had talked, Eddie had scampered over to the fridge at the opposite end of the garage, pulling out two cans of Sprite Cranberry and handing one to Betty. The refreshment made it easier to relax as they talked, just going over how some teachers had taken a heavy dislike to Eddie being a constant talker in class, or how Betty had once more achieved grades that were consistently the best in the entire class.

Then it had come down to their morning discussions, more specifically how the date with Trevor Brown had gone for Betty and if she had discovered anything whilst she was at Pop's with Trevor doing whatever she called 'intelligence gathering'.

"So, Elizabeth Cooper, how much intelligence did you gather at Pop's with Trev?" Eddie teased, before taking a long sip of his Sprite.

"I found out that Jason was selling drugs."

The reveal of the blunt and honest truth caused Eddie to end up spurting out a hint of Sprite on his apron, as well as having him furiously rubbing at his nose as the fizz ran up his nostrils. It had been painful yet hilariously humiliating. Having snorted Sprite Cranberry, Eddie then looked to his companion and watched as she burst out laughing at his misfortune. If there was one thing that Eddie had realised about Betty, it was that her laugh was almost infectious, more so when it was the pair of them laughing at his own pain.

Eddie quickly placed the can at his side, and soon looked at the blonde girl as she did the same. "Are you serious?" He inquired.

"Deadly serious. Apparently he was trying to sell anything he could take make any money." Betty confirmed to her friend. "It's suspicious. At least that was my first thought, now I'm just wondering why."

"Maybe he was running away." Eddie muttered.

"Why would he do that though?" Betty continued. "What reason would he have to run away?"

"The wealthiest and most powerful of parents tend to be control freaks, business CEOs even more so." Eddie began. "So Clifford and Penelope Blossom are powerful, wealthy and they run their own company. They are basically psychopaths with how they've handled this. Not that I know how they handle grief, but, think about it. If they are so controlling, what if Jason finally had enough and ran? What if they killed him for running?"

"That's crazy, but how could his own parents kill him?" Betty asked. "It'd be, it'd be a horrifying ordeal just to even consider doing something like that. What if it was just some accident?"

"Autopsy-" Eddie began.

"Tears that possibility to shreds, because his body was hidden." Betty finished. "So it was definitely murder, and most likely pre-meditated murder too."

Eddie sighed as Betty was talking herself through all of the evidence, looking at the bland body colour of the Cobra without paint. He ran his hand across the body of the vehicle, caressing the cold steel like it was a piece of treasure that should have remained hidden away for the rest of time. To him, the car was a thing of beauty. To her, a project that needed to be completed before it was overdue. Eventually, Eddie sighed and looked at the blonde as she sat down against the cream brick wall of her garage. She had worn herself out on the case, on the car and just talking about it made her seem to lose that life, that excitement that was usually in her eye. It saddened Eddie to see her like that, to see her lose that vigour and vitality that made Betty Cooper just that.

Betty Cooper.

"Hey, come on, let's talk about something else." Eddie spoke. "About how your mom abhors me for some strange reason?"

Betty giggled. "She doesn't abhor you, you idiot. She just intensely dislikes you for some reason. Besides, how would talking about that sound any better than talking about Jason?"

Eddie grinned, a sly, wry little grin like he had become the Cheshire Cat. "You grin like that when you have a really bad idea."

"Can't be any worse than anything I've done before." Eddie murmured, before dropping to his knees in front of Betty.

"You think getting into fights and making it a regular occurrence is a good idea, I have a feeling you could come up with some terrible ideas." Betty acknowledged. "Go on then, what's this grand idea?"

Eddie took out his phone and put on a song, and waved for her to shuffle towards him in front of the car. The phone began to play a simple guitar sound, a riff which continued until a very-British voice began to sing slowly until the drums finally joined. Betty smiled as Eddie's head began to bob along to the music, soon watching as he climbed to his feet and offered a hand to her. Betty took it, and with little effort the larger boy picked her up off the floor. As the two stood up, Betty could briefly pick up Eddie singing along the words. _"_ _That twinkling vixen, with sparkling eyes, their hypnosis goes unnoticed when she's walking by..."_

Betty felt Eddie gently place his hands upon her waist, and soon she wrapped her own hands around his neck as the two slowly shifted from side to side as the music continued. It was an odd song, one that sounded like a love song mixed in with poetry and garage rock.

" _And now I'm stuck still wondering, how it's supposed to be."_ Eddie whispered, just enough for her to shiver as he quietly whispered along to the words. The last time they had been this close had been the drive-in night.

"What are you doing, Eddie?" Betty swooned, as she felt Eddie look down on her. "You're just so..."

"Smooth and amazing, I know."

"I was about to say humble too, but that's out the window." Betty giggled as she looked up to the tall raven-haired boy.

The two stayed their as the music stopped and the next song began. Eddie's phone rested on the bonnet of the Cobra, and soon Betty looked towards the phone where she could soon see the song 'Cornerstone' by the Arctic Monkeys. The guitar and drums were so simple that of course it would appeal to Eddie's simple likings. The two swayed from side to side, occasionally firing off into some little twist or spin that felt as if it had come right out of a Disney film where the prince and princess finally danced at the end.

Eddie finally spoke, no musical inflections in his voice. "Why did you want me here tonight, Betty?"

Betty smiled as she looked up at the boy who held her in his arms. "Unfinished business, obviously."

"Really?" Eddie asked. "Just unfinished business? That's all?"

"I..." She felt Eddie's fingers lift her chin so he could see into her eyes. "I needed you."

As soon as she had uttered the words, the pair moved closer together. Like the previous night they were together, their lips brushed lightly together but this time they were not interrupted. Her heart was beating so fast Betty felt as if she couldn't catch a single breath, and she could feel his breath just run over lips gently. He noticed her eyes begin to flutter, before finally closing as their lips met. Soon his hands were no longer on her hips but had lightly glanced her neck as he pulled her in close. Edward was operating on auto-pilot, he knew she hadn't kissed a boy before, it was a secret she had told him and the rest of that group. He wanted her to remember this. He expected her to taste of strawberries or something else sweet but the aftertaste of cranberry remained on the tip of her lips.

He wasn't demanding her for anything, all he needed was her.

She didn't want anything else from him, all she needed was him.

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

 _ **Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to all of you! Have a wonderful 2019, folks! I'll leave you with this as an early New Year's present!**_

 _ **-A Happy Old Boy-**_


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: The Heart of Darkness**

Spending time in Thorn Hill would not have been Veronica Lodge's idea of having a good weekend. Instead, she was slowly witnessing Cheryl's dramatic reveal of what life was really like in the Blossom household. How her parents barely paid any attention to her, treating her like an outcast who had been allowed into their family on a technicality. Her silent grandmother, always present but never bothering to even whisper a single syllable in front of anyone.

It was like some kind of Gothic horror show, the kind of performance one would be witness too if they saw a production of _Marat/Sade._ It was a single terrifying glimpse into the life of the most popular girl in the school.

She was not expecting it to be some kind of depressing dinner-date with her parents. No, Cheryl had made it sound like she was going to be inviting her own friends as well as Veronica. Although the newcomer to their fair town had managed to somewhat integrate herself, Veronica was not as stupid enough to not see how she would have been the black sheep in the group. That was, if their was ever a group to begin with. Nobody else had turned up bar her, and it had remained that way for the entire night. That little space of time where she had sat down and managed to somehow swallow the sickly-sweet maple ham in front of Clifford and Penelope Blossom was certainly one of the most perturbing moments in her life.

Clifford Blossom had at least made an attempt to talk during the dinner, more so than his wife, his mother and the two servants that stood stock-still around the dining room. The ever-present shade of maple red was splashed flawlessly across the walls of the entire mansion, as well as on the Blossom Family's clothes and more so on their heads of hair. In this case, Veronica was even more of an outsider than Cheryl ever was. Clifford would bring up every little thing about her father's situation down in New York, how he had been arrested and taken away without a word said to either Veronica or her mother. She wasn't stupid, Clifford was gloating over the situation. Veronica could see where Cheryl might have gotten the uppity-attitude from considering it seemed to be such a large part of her father's persona.

He was an ageing man, the wrinkles slowly beginning to appear on the cheeks and forehead of the Blossom patriarch. His hair remained that same shade of red, like the maple leaves that inhabited the branches of the trees they used to make their syrup empire. He never made an attempt to smile, not even briefly when he welcomed her into the house. It was professional, as if Veronica were some kind of business associate that he was trying to impress.

And if that was what he was going for, Veronica was sorely disappointed. She had seen much more off-putting welcomes and behaviours from her father's partners when they would visit the house. Clifford was by far possibly the least-intimidating person she knew. He was quiet, but he at least remember what human interaction was, making conversation unlike his mother and wife.

It was Penelope that daunted Veronica, more so than either the grandmother or the father.

No, she was silent just like her husband. She was withering away to the curse of old age more than Clifford was. The stress of the investigation on her son's death had torn her apart, it would have had that affect on anyone. Yet, Penelope Blossom had allowed herself brief moments of respite where she could grieve in her home before she put on the mask of stone, reserved and glacial in front of all who saw her in public. The moments of silence would usually be interrupted by a coarse and scything comment, whispered just under her breath but loud enough for everyone around her to hear. To remind them of what she was going through, as if she were the only one who was grieving for her son's tragic demise.

The awful event that was dinner had been over before it started, with both teenagers retreating to Cheryl's room to keep well away from the demons downstairs. In the heiress' room, Cheryl had quickly undressed and was already in pyjamas, and soon Veronica had done the same as well. The red-headed bombshell had thrown a massive photo album on her king-size and had beckoned Veronica to lie down next to her as she went through it.

As they went through the photographs, Cheryl would begin to state the context of them. Whether they were pictures of her and Jason in a random place or situation, the rare family photograph or just a picture of either her or Jason; she already knew every facet of information for each image. Some of them were comedic in nature, such as the time Jason and Cheryl had decided to pretend to run away from their parents when in actuality they had hidden in the guest house of Thorn Hill. Others were memorials of Jason before his demise, such as his school photographs in his football kit.

Eventually, Veronica had decided to comment on a few of them, specifically the one with Jason in his football gear. "I hope this doesn't sound too weird but, Jason was crazy handsome." 

Cheryl sighed in agreement. "The handsome-est. Something tells me he would have liked you."

Veronica might have liked him too, if she ever had the option to meet him before he had turned up dead. From what Cheryl had said, and everything else her fellow peers had said, nobody could have said a bad word about Jason Blossom. The one exception to the rule was Alice Cooper, Betty's mother. Yet it was soon explained from both Cheryl's side and Betty's that Alice had abhorred Jason from the moment she found out he was dating Polly, her eldest daughter. It seemed that in Riverdale, when the majority had already agreed on something, Veronica Lodge had noticed there was always that one outsider who deemed it necessary to stand out and proclaim the opposite.

Yet the heiress to the Lodge empire was in need of some honesty from her fellow high-class friend. "Cheryl, please be honest with me. Why did you invite me over tonight? Why not Ginger, or Tina? Aren't they meant to be your besties?"

Cheryl had already conjured an answer from the nether. "That night at the pep-rally, when I ran away from the stage, who was there to comfort me in my time of need? It wasn't Ginger or Tina, it was you, Veronica. After I had my panic attack, you helped me. I always found it funny, how you Lodges seem to be the most demonised people in the town but it seems like you have the best interests of others at heart instead. I wish I could be like that, like you."

"Cheryl, what do you mean?" Veronica had asked, insisting on getting another honest answer which she seemed to have gotten. "We have the best interests of others at heart, you make it sound like we're radiant knights and princesses."

"Okay, maybe not all of you." Cheryl admitted.

"Okay..."

"You and your cousin, Edward." The red-head began. "Before you came, Edward was the only other person who could relate to me with his problems and mine. We both came from rich backgrounds, we both had issues with family and we always had that one person who we could rely on. I had Jason, and he had his own father. Then we realised how similar we were and then it just came to be, being able to talk just happened for a lack of better words."

Veronica sighed and then raised her head to the heavens and laughed. "Oh, how my dear cousin is such a knight in shining armour."

"Isn't he just? He's unique, in a town of normality."

"Oh, please." Veronica rejected. "As soon as you get to know him he's as boring as they come. He's not a typical jock, most of them think wrestling is some kind of joke but I've seen him do some serious damage with it."

"Haven't we all?" Cheryl replied with a rhetorical. "I can remember when Edward had his first fight with Chuck Clayton. The two hated each other so much that their wasn't even any kind of decency between the two, they'd butt heads in the halls like Neanderthals all the time. Yet, when Eddie had almost got himself knocked out, he jumped right off the floor like a bat out of hell. Nobody had ever seen someone take a hit from Chuck and get up right after like it was nothing."

To Cheryl, it was a sign that maybe Edward Lodge was a cut above the rest, different to any other guy that was in the school. He was definitely not perfect, that much was true. He was always first one to jump into a situation with aggression, and if Cheryl had to guess why it would have been his legendary confrontations with Chuck. She had heard of when Veronica first suffered the wrath of the Sticky Maple, that Edward had elbowed the larger jock and was practically begging for another fight and she wasn't wrong if Reggie and Moose had confirmed such an encounter. It was the one thing that she could not stand yet the one thing she admired, the passionate yet aggressive side of him.

"Did, he and Jason get along?" Veronica asked, trying to switch the subject back to Jason.

"Oh, yes." Cheryl confirmed with a bright smile. "Jason had basically saved Edward from spiralling off the cliff of self-destruction, as absurd as it might be."

Veronica had raised an eyebrow at that. Edward had always been so controlled and self-assured (at least he was most of the time that Veronica was around him). He had never broken out into an aggressive rage when he was with her in New York, but he always had harboured a deep-seated wonder about what his life might have been like. He knew himself that he was different in comparison to the rest of the Lodge Family. It was impossible to ignore.

"How so?"

"Before you arrived, maybe a year or two ago. Edward had really went off the rails, never talking to anyone, really quiet. You know how he is now, he's like an open book that almost anybody could read if they put some effort into it. Back then, he was like a confidential government file or something. There were weeks where he would never speak a word to anyone, and even when he did bother to vocalise his thoughts it was in the form of some grunting or grumbling." Cheryl began. "This was when me and him ended up discussing what was going on, I felt like I was pulling teeth with him, because getting him to talk is such an awful thing for him."

"Go on." Veronica nodded.

"He had only just found out that he wasn't really related to your family, how he was just a Lodge by name and not by blood. Some people vent differently, but when he was talking it was like he was going through some kind of demonic possession. At that time, he couldn't vent because his venting was fighting and he had nobody to fight. He was fighting himself. He was furious, and not at his father but at how anyone could have just left him outside in the cold, hoping that whoever answered the door would take them in. How it was pure luck that he was in Riverdale to begin with."

It was a sad tale, almost heart-wrenching if Cheryl hadn't had to live it for weeks. Jason had soon found out about the poor boy's history and his troubles and had immediately asked his parents whether they could take in the stray child with nowhere to go. They had allowed it, just barely. He spent two months at Thorn Hill, just talking to Jason and Cheryl about everything; about how for the first time in his life he had actually felt _alone._

Veronica knew Uncle Julian had been kind enough to take the boy under his care, more like he was a ward than a son but her father had explained to her the situation as soon as Julian and Edward had almost made their way to New York for a brief vacation. How Julian could not have a son, and so he had taken a boy who had been deprived of his own family into their family. How Edward Lodge was their cousin in all but blood, how he would be welcome in their home and that would be the end of it.

 _Come to think of it, Edward was much more like a son to Daddy as well as much he was a son to Uncle Julian…_ Veronica thought. _Maybe Daddy was just being kind, or sympathetic for Little Eddie…_

Veronica could soon see that Cheryl was even more downtrodden, just talking about how good Jason was to Edward as she was talking about how Jason was really gone. "Cheryl," Veronica began; "you're allowed to say goodbye to your brother but why..." 

"Why does it have to be in front of people?" She finished. "Everything with Jason has been so public. Everyone has an opinion, the gossiping, saying he did or didn't get what he deserved. I just want people to know that I'm sorry, sorry for being a terrible sister. That he deserved a better family than what he got."

"Then do it." Veronica spoke, egging on her companion. "Let Clifford and Penelope Blossom do their worst."

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

The day had finally come.

Jason Blossom's proper burial.

It was to be a closed-casket affair, both Clifford and Penelope would never let the public see what had become of their son, even if some had already seen it the disturbing and gory truth of the matter. How Jason's pale skin had turned into a sickly greyish-green, veins engorged around his neck and face whilst his eyes had gone milky white. His hair had seemed forever browning instead of that auburn shade, and his body had almost grown twice as much due to the water intake from the river. It was a horrifying sight but it had finally kicked Riverdale back into the real world, that somebody could be so evil as to actually murder an innocent teenager.

And Betty was determined to find out who had done it, not for her own satisfaction but to genuinely try and help track down who might have killed one of her school peers. She never thought in a million years that she would have been an amateur sleuth a month into her second year of high school. No, but her year had been one of complete surprise. Becoming a River Vixen, restarting the newspaper, so adding 'becoming an investigative journalist' had became one more event to add on her list of unsuspected surprises.

But she couldn't forget what had happened the night before, how spontaneous it had been yet how sweet it was. Betty had thought it was a dream, at first. She woke up in bed, covered by the teal and pink blankets before remembering the night before. How as soon as she went downstairs and caught sight of the Cobra, rust free it had all came back to her. The Sprite Cranberry cans littering the floor where she had been sat with the boy that had finally decided to give Betty Cooper her first kiss.

 _That smile, that damned smile…_ Betty thought to herself, as she began to smile blissfully in the mirror. How he was just singing away to the music on his phone before he had decided to pull her in close enough to kiss her.

Edward Lodge, the one person who Betty Cooper had told herself she would never kiss again.

 _Damn you, Edward Lodge. Damn you and your charms…_

He had messaged her relatively early in the morning, saying how as much as he wished he could have been with her on the way to Thorn Hill his father was driving him with Hermione. Instead, Betty would be going with Jughead and her parents. It didn't sadden her, but just made her yearn more for time with him more than ever. She had flipped her hair over her shoulders when she heard the light footfalls of someone entering her room. She turned, to see Jughead Jones in a somewhat fitting suit. The crowned beanie still occupying his head, Betty realised that she had never really seen her friend in a suit before. She was too used to him wearing different coloured variations of the same denim jacket, black jeans and 'S' tee-shirts.

"Ready to enter the belly of the beast?" He had asked, sarcastically sighing as he stood behind her. Betty gave him an almost-proud smile as he began to smirk with his cheeks beginning to brighten. "It was the best I could do."

Another smile and Jughead couldn't even look at her. Betty tapped him by the shoulder and took him downstairs, where her mother and father were waiting. Her mother had no visible emotion on her face, instead she was looking in the mirror examining her own make-up whilst her father was patting the creases down on his jacket. The group of four soon squeezed into Hal's sedan and drove up on the way to Thorn Hill, the Blossom ancestral home watching over the two sides of town or more aptly, looking down on the rest of the town. As they arrived, the cold steel gates, warped and wrought with the words 'Thorn' and 'Hill' engraved into the left and right gate respectively. The centre of the gates looked impassible, a large oval with an ornate and stylistic 'B' carved into it. The Latin motto of 'Radices Currere Abyssi' directly underneath it.

"I always hated this place." Hal muttered to himself. "Gives me chills every time I drive past it."

"Have you been here before, Mister Cooper?" Jughead had bothered to ask, considering the question carefully before asking it finally.

"Ah, it was a long time ago, _Jughead._ " Hal replied, seemingly suspicious of the boy's nickname. "A very long time ago."

They had soon pulled up at the mansion, parking the car and soon witnessing a black Bentley Bentayga drive past and then reverse-park in front of them. The off-road luxury car soon went quiet, with the three arriving Lodge family members revealing themselves just as the Coopers had done alongside Jughead. The younger members quickly joined up, with Betty getting rather close to Edward, too close for her mother's liking. The adults made their cordial introductions, Hal and Edward shaking hands before they walked off, with Alice and Hermione following behind them. The young group of teens followed suite, behind their parents. Edward had soon caught sight of Penelope muttering something to his aunt before she let her and Julian into the mansion, nodding to the Coopers before she greeted the young teens who were friends with Cheryl.

Betty was the one who spoke for the trio. "We are so sorry for your loss, Mrs. Blossom." She announced, softly.

"Thank you, very much Elizabeth. Mister Jones, it's nice to see you all came to support Cheryl." Penelope returned, a small brisk smile on her face. "Edward, it's so wonderful to see you. How have you been, my boy?"

"I've been well, Mrs. Blossom." Edward quickly replied, nodding for Betty and Jughead to go inside. Edward took her hands in his own. "If you ever need to talk, Mrs. Blossom, I believe my phone number is still in your contact book."

For what seemed like the first time in forever, Penelope Blossom seemed to give off a genuine smile. Edward had been a welcome addition to Thorn Hill when Jason had brought him in his time of need, and the Blossoms had most generously provided for him in letting him stay under their roof. He owed Jason, and even more so he owed the Blossoms, especially Cheryl. Sometimes, it felt as if she was the one person Edward could ever talk to. He walked into the entrance hall, looking at all the influential and well-known men and women who had come from Riverdale to say their final farewells to the late Jason Blossom. As he walked through the crowds, he soon caught sight of Veronica at the front of the hall, purse in hand whilst approaching the rest of the group. Approaching the group, Eddie soon joined Jughead, Veronica and Betty. They knew that the Blossoms would be sat at the front left side of the hall, and so the group of friends had placed themselves on the second row from the front at the right hand side of the room.

What they hadn't expected was Archie, who had already been sat quietly, to stand up with a blue and gold jersey in his hand and approach Penelope Blossom. The older woman who had not been looking at the young ginger-haired athlete soon caught sight of him as Archie towered over her. Penelope's eyes widened in abject shock, as if she had witnessed her own son rise from the coffin and return to her from beyond the grave. Archie could see it himself, that surprise that was deep in her green eyes.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Mrs. Blossom." Archie had began. "I thought you might want to have this." He said, handing the Blossom matriarch her son's Varsity football jersey.

Penelope had not looked down at the offering, but instead had stood stock-still as she looked at Archie, how when the light hit his hair just right how much he looked like her own son. Her eyes had began to well before she spoke. "You look so much like him..." She whispered, placing a smooth hand over his face before she brushed a stray length of hair behind his ear, soon realising what she was doing to the boy and pulling away.

"I'm so sorry." Penelope managed to say in a hushed whisper before she regained her composure. And took the jersey. "Thank you, Archibald."

As soon as Archie had sat down, he had taken the seat next to Kevin. All of his friends had dressed in black, whilst Archie himself had been wearing his varsity jacket under his black shirt, in solidarity with the other Bulldogs who had done the same for their fallen brother. Kevin looked at Archie, his hand resting on the back of his chair. "Did she just brush your hair?" He asked with faux-concern.

"That was really sweet, what you just did." Betty acknowledge, soon leaning closer to Edward who took her hand in his own. The Lodge boy had remained silent, opting to remain so until the service was over.

"She deserves it, a lot more than I do." Archie had reaffirmed. "Just because I'm in the running for captaincy doesn't mean I deserve to where the shirt that Jason did."

Out of the corner of Betty's eye, she noticed her father looking out of one of the many windows at Thorn Hill. It was an odd sight, seeing her father with a glass of whiskey in his hand as Clifford Blossom approached him, a glass of whiskey in his hand too. The two seemed in light conversation, before Clifford had seemed to look as if he had made some sly remark before walking off. There was a look of detestation in Hal's eyes, before he had downed the alcohol in his glass and made his way over to his wife. The light piano notes that hinted at the beginning of the ceremony began, and as everyone turned to look at the entrance hall they noticed a pale-skinned figure dressed all in white.

It was Cheryl Blossom, striding confidently to the podium in the same white dress she had wore on the day that Jason had gone 'missing'. Clifford and Penelope had caught sight of their daughter and looked positively repulsed by what she had gone to do, she was rebelling against them. She soon took her place behind the podium, announcing that everyone should take their seats as the ceremony was about to begin. Her parents listened to her words, although Veronica had caught sight of her mother about to jump out of her seat.

Veronica whispered to her from across the room, hidden by the mutterings still going around as everyone took their seats. "You are only going to make things worse if you go up there." The Lodge heiress whispered, watching as Penelope glared at both her and then her daughter before she remained in her seat.

Then Cheryl had began to speak.

"The last time that I saw Jason, was wearing this dress. I know it's impossible, but I swear when I put it on it feels like he's in the room with me. Even though we were twins, I used to demand that I have my own birthday party. Until one year, Jason convinced me to have only one. It was years later, I found out why he had done this." Cheryl spoke confidently, tired of people thinking she was weak. "It was because nobody wanted to come to mine, and Jason didn't want me to know. He protected me, every single waking minute of every single day. I wish that river I had protected him."

Eventually, and predictably, the cracks began to show in Cheryl's fragile emotional armour. Her eyes had began to water as she spoke, before she wheezed and turned to the coffin behind her, red and white roses littered atop the mahogany wood. She placed her bare hand over the wood, as if she were trying to make physical contact one last time with her brother before he was finally laid to rest.

"I'm so sorry, Jay-Jay." Cheryl sputtered, as Veronica got out of her seat to comfort her friend. "I failed you, all of us, we all did."

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

It had been Penelope's brief wish for everyone to retire to the winter salon for the wake.

What Edward couldn't figure out for the life of him was why Betty and Jughead had wandered off into the deeper recesses of the mansion. It had been a long time since Edward had been inside, and although Penelope had always said he was welcome, he never particularly felt as such when he was there. Jason and Cheryl were the ones that made him feel somewhat wanted in the house, and since Jason was now gone, it was only a heartbroken Cheryl that remained.

As he had went up the stairs, he could hear the faint sobs of Cheryl from her room, door open for anyone with the sense to hear them. Edward could also hear the almost-shouts of Penelope. Power-walking to Cheryl's room, he could see Penelope raging at her daughter, shaming and screaming at her daughter for making the one speech she ever wanted to make. Soon getting to the doorway, Edward soon thought of the way to get Penelope out of the room.

"Mrs. Blossom..." 

"What is it!" She had screeched, almost like a furious banshee. "Ah, Mister Lodge, what do you need?"

Edward gulped. "Ah, I believe that you are needed in the salon, some others would like to wish their condolences."

"I see. Thank you for alerting me, my boy." Penelope said, the shorter woman soon pushing past Edward and back downstairs.

As soon as Penelope left, Edward had rushed over to the grieving girl. Tears were still dripping down her face, eyes bloodshot before Edward took the poor girl into his arms and held her. Cheryl refused to let go of him, her arms wrapped tight around his chest as she sobbed into the black overcoat of Edward's outfit. Edward wasn't bothered about that, he wasn't bothered about how much the material cost or whether Cheryl's tears were dripping into the fabric as they mixed with her perfectly-applied make up. How her own mother could have said such words to turn Cheryl into a paranoid and fearful mess had scared Edward, and if that was what Penelope could do then he feared what Clifford could say or do too. He remained as Cheryl's rock, allowing her to sob freely into his chest, even when he began to feel her tears drip not into his coat but onto the white dress shirt and black tie.

"Shhhhhh…." Edward whispered into the red-head's ear. "It's going to be alright, Cheryl. I know it will, it's all gonna be alright."

"She… she..." Cheryl repeated, not managing to form a sentence as she cried out in pain. "I hate…. This place..."

There was never many times where Edward could say he had seen Cheryl Blossom have a full mental-breakdown, but he was right in the middle of one and it was not good. Her own mother was berating her, verbally tearing her down over the simple need to grieve for her lost twin. Castigating the heiress of the Blossom fortune was a sure-fire way to get people against you, but how would that work if the person lambasting Cheryl Blossom was her own mother? It was a question that had no answer, at least no answer from Edward as he held the crying Cheryl in his arms and refused to let go. He knew that life in the Blossom family was not perfect, it wasn't perfect being a Lodge either but Edward had just seen to revealing the hidden horror that Cheryl faced every waking day from sunrise to sunset.

"I know, Cheryl." Edward spoke, soon feeling Cheryl release her python-like grip from around his chest. "What did she say to you?"

"She said… she said that if it weren't for the fact that nobody would have me, she would have shipped me off to a boarding school in Europe. She took the River Vixens away from me, she took everything from me!" Cheryl wept, still left reeling from her mother's apparently hatred of what her daughter had said.

"Well she's wrong." Edward stated firmly, looking down as Edward took Cheryl's hands in his own. "She's just wrong there, Cheryl."

"But she's not, Edward." Cheryl rebutted, seeming to believe what her mother said to her.

 _She fucking is, and you know it as much as I do Cheryl…._

Before Edward could reply, his phone rumbled in his pocket. The weeping red-head scooped it out of his pocket before handing it to Edward.

 **Dad: We need to go, I've got a few business deliveries coming soon.**

Eddie furiously typed a response.

 **Edward: Can I stay with Cheryl, please?**

 **Dad: Edward, we are leaving and I am not leaving you in the hands of the Blossoms right now. Down here, now.**

"I need to go." Edward whispered. "Regretfully." 

"Please, I need you to stay with me."

Eddie sighed. "Call me later, and I swear on my life I will answer. If I don't you can ki… You can punish me however you want." Eddie ended with a smile, thankful he didn't use his original idea.

"Gladly." Cheryl managed to smirk. "You better answer."

"I will, I promise."

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

Betty was horrified.

Horrified because as soon as old Rose Blossom had found them snooping in Jason's room, she had revealed to Betty (thinking Betty was Polly) that Jason and Polly were engaged.

Grandmother Blossom had even given Jason the ancestral engagement ring to use on Polly so she supposedly had it in her possession. She had soon managed to escape, Jughead leaving early with Archie, Veronica and Kevin whilst she left with her family. Alice had asked to have been dropped off at _The Riverdale Register_ to do some work, so Betty had returned to her home on Kennedy Street with her father. On their own, Betty confronted her father.

"You drag me out of Blossom's house and you don't talk to me the whole way home?" Hal had asked, bemused yet confused at his daughter's odd behaviour.

Betty decided throwing the bombshell was the best bet. "Dad, Polly and Jason were engaged. Did you know that?"

Hal had a twitch, when he knew something was wrong which he didn't believe he pushed himself up to seem taller before falling back down to his original height. He had done this twice, and soon Betty couldn't believe what her father was trying to think about. He knew, he knew and he didn't tell her. "Of course… of course you knew. Is that what you and Clifford Blossom were talking about?" Betty inquired.

"That is not any of your business, it is not your concern." Hal defended, walking away from his daughter, the inquisitor.

"Yes, it is my business! Polly is my sister, so stop avoiding this and tell me what is going on with our family! Please!"

Hal groaned, loudly. "Clifford and I were arguing. Because he and his filthy clan came this close to destroying my family. Your little friend Cheryl's great-grandfather murdered yours, Betty." Hal revealed, leading to Betty looking more interrogative.

"Why? How is that relevant to anything we were talking about? We're talking about Jason and Polly!"

"Because that's all they do, all they know how to do is greed and hate. They were in the same trade, selling syrup until Grandpa Blossom decided to kill my grandfather in cold blood to keep all the profits to himself. It's why the Blossoms and the Coopers hated each other so much, why we still do." Hal revealed, taking a seat whilst Betty remained standing.

"That's why you hated Jason, seriously? Because of some stupid blood feud that happened before you were even born?"

Hal growled. "They stole our livelihood, Betty. One we had worked hand in hand with the Blossoms for. I would rather die before I allowed them to steal my daughter!"

Betty was done, she had enough of the distractions and the stories from decades past. She slammed her hands on the table, rebelling against her father. "Where is she, Dad! Where is Polly, where is my sister?"

"SHE IS SICK! AND JASON MADE HER SICK! SHE WILL NOT BE COMING UNTIL SHE ISN'T SICK ANY MORE! SO KEEP YOUR DAMN NOSE OUT OF THIS!"

Betty had never seen her father that angry before, but her outburst had provoked his own before he had stormed off. Betty had went up to her room, stripped off and fell asleep. Finding comfort as she slept half-clothed under the covers, the last message she saw on her phone was from a boy.

That boy she thought she would never date, the one she would never kiss.

The boy she shared her first kiss with.

 **Eddie: I love you xxx**

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

 _ **I do hope you all had a wonderful new year, my friends and comrades. As you can see, this story is now gonna be a OC/Betty story. I'm hoping I make their romance seem somewhat realistic and I feel like I'm on a roll right now so I do really wish you enjoy the content I am putting out. I know a lot of people like Bughead but I feel like it's overdone and there aren't many OC stories done right for the Riverdale category right now. If I were to recommend one right now, I would have to recommend WindyCity96's Red-Headed Love Season One, which has provided me with much inspiration to write as much as the Christmas season has.**_

 _ **As for now, I shall see you all soon, arrivederci!**_

 _ **-The New And Improved Old Boy**_


	13. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12: What Lies Beneath**_

 _We've all felt it, haven't we?_

 _That niggling feeling that we know something has happened, or that someone is telling us a little white lie?_

 _That one single moment where we as a species can tell, that from such a miniscule event we can all tell something is wrong. That one moment we know that we can see reality, and break away from the simulation, the lie that we live in._

 _And then it's back to the mirror universe, where everything is fine. Nothing could ever go wrong._

 _You behave like good boys and girls, you don't question what the authority tells you._

 _You think that two plus two equals five._

 _You think that weakness is strength._

 _You think that being imprisoned is freedom._

 _In Riverdale, the illusion was beginning to break. The invisible wall that separated Riverdale from it's dark other half was soon to be discovered by none other than the youthful reporters who were investigating the murder of Jason Blossom._

 _And soon, they would find the building that defined everything that Riverdale had put itself through, every secret and sin that had been hidden away just outside of Fox Forest._

 _Riverdale was ashamed, so it forced this place away to hide from the shame. The shame of what had happened in the walls, what had happened to the people that had been placed inside._

 _Not for their safety, but for the safety of the town itself, and it's reputation._

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

It had been a few days since the funeral for Jason Blossom, and Eddie whilst he had regretted not being able to stay with Cheryl for her brother's burial, was at least happy it was over. The Blossoms were not good people, even if they had let him stay in their home, he knew they weren't good to their children. Why Cheryl took the brunt of their vitriolic hatred, he had no idea but it was something he didn't want to know or wish to find out. He had kept a texting conversation going on for her sake, sending Betty a cheeky text from time to time as he focused on Cheryl for the rest of that day. She was in mourning, and to an extent so was Eddie in his own way.

It was the weekend, and with them having a full free day without school interfering with their plans, Betty had came up with a plan to finally see her sister. All she knew was that Polly was in a group home, but Betty knew there was more to it than that. Her parents would keep a meticulous record of whatever they were paying for, or wherever they were placing their children if the situation arose.

Soon, Eddie had pulled himself out of his bed and took a look at his phone, with no messages from Betty or any of his friends either. It was a quiet morning, it seemed. Throwing on a pair of cotton shorts and a grey shirt, Eddie slid his phone into his pocket and went downstairs, realising that even his father was not in the house. Walking into the kitchen, he was blinded by the bright whites and dull greys of the walls around him. This was amplified even more so as soon as Eddie opened the fridge, closing his eyes and growling as he grabbed the carton of orange juice and took a massive sip of the sweet liquid. He heard a loud coughing, almost sputtering up the orange juice as he turned to see his father, unimpressed behind him.

"What have I told you about glasses, boy?" His father growled, almost as if he had appeared through the walls to see his son, like some intangible spectre fresh from hell itself.

"Use them, don't drink out of a carton." Eddie mumbled, spinning the cap around his finger before turning it back onto the carton, subsequently throwing the carton back into the fridge.

"Correct, boy." Julian affirmed, as he soon disappeared like an invisible wraith. "Come outside, we have some new projects for the backyard garage."

Confused, the young man followed his adoptive father into the front yard. The maroon and black brick road spread out in front of him as he stepped out of the black aluminium door to see a massive eighteen-wheeler with six new hypercars in front of him. The white concrete water fountain looked remarkably elegant, at least until it was paired with his father flooding Eddie's ears with a massive honking from the truck. _Too early for this shit…_

Feeling the cold against the bottom of his feet, Eddie groaned as the two drivers dropped down the ramps for the three cars on the bottom rack. A McLaren Senna, Intensa Emozione and a Lamborghini Centenario were soon rolled up into the back of their forest mansion home. As the upper ramp slammed down onto their driveway, his father slowly introduced the three more hypercars that his father had decided to lavishly spend his money on. The cold grey of an Aston Martin Valkyrie, a sky-blue Rimac Concept and a jet-black LaFerrari. As the last three cars were shuttled off into their new home, Julian Lodge had a grand smile on his face as he looked at his son.

Eddie was trying not to let the smile rise on his face. "You do realise this is a massive amount of cash you have just spent, don't you?"

"I know." Julian grinned. "But considering that your auntie has just bought the drive-in land, I felt like some celebrations were in order."

"Wait, what?"

"Hermione bought the drive-in land. For Lodge Industries of course, which I can use to finally get a foothold in Riverdale. We're gonna start a legitimate mechanic's yard here, with some good quality mechanics working here and then we can finally say that whatever your uncle did is finally in the past." Julian revealed. "How great is that, huh? Family business, after so many years of the Lodges being in Riverdale. We'll be just like the Andrews guys!"

Eddie snorted. "No disrespect, Dad, I love you and all. We're not the Andrews family, and we all know that. Those cars, everything we have in these buildings, in our house, it's why we're not the Andrews boys. I mean, we hide in the forest."

"We live in the forest." Julian corrected him. "Look, just because we have our own lot in life, because we have money, it doesn't mean we can't have a normal life. I've been dealing with this with your auntie, and Mister Andrews since Hiram was incarcerated. This is a new leaf for our family, you should be proud."

Edward sighed, and then yawned in front of his dad. "Just, I don't want anything to do with it unless we know it's legit. I'll be willing to help, IF it's legitimate. We are not like Uncle Hiram."

"No, we're not, son." Julian smiled. "You're a bright kid. Not like your old man, not at all."

Eddie felt his phone rumble, and soon saw Betty had messaged him. "Yeah, definitely not. I'm handsome, intelligent, confident and physically active. Look, I need to see Betty."

"Like that? Yeah, sure kid." Julian smiled. "Speaking of _il tuo amante..."_

"She's not my lover, dad. Just use the word girlfriend like a normal person, please."

"Are you safe? I don't need a grandchild just yet, please. If anything happens, at least give them a good name."

Eddie groaned, and soon turned foot and entered his home to get dressed. Looking at the text, Eddie read:

 **Betts: Sisters of Quiet Mercy Group Home, pls pick me up xxx**

"What the hell?"

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

It had not taken too long to get dressed, throwing on a black-white henley shirt with some black jeans shoes before getting into his car. Driving down into the North Side before pulling up outside the Cooper house, Edward opened the door of his car for Betty, the blonde quickly pulling herself inside before the car drove off. The blonde had shuffling awkwardly in the leather seat, tugging at her sleeves and constantly scrunching her hands together as they weaved through the streets of the dull, drab town.

The radio had been whispering out the occasional pop song, as a way of cutting through the silence which had entered alongside Betty. Eddie didn't exactly know what to say to his girlfriend, he barely knew the situation with her sister, other than she was in a group home. Obviously, it had been a very contentious situation with the rest of the Cooper family, but Betty was not the type of person who would let such a decision go unfixed.

"Betty, are you okay?" Eddie asked, keeping his hands set on the steering wheel as they drove past the Pembrooke. "You're being quiet..."

The usually-happy girl had sighed aloud, and Eddie had to wonder on what seemed to be eating at her. "I, I don't know. I just don't know what I'm going to see when we go in there. I've been thinking, is Polly okay? Is she safe in there? What if she's not safe at all, what if she needs to escape, what if we need to break her out?"

"Look, if worst comes to worst, we'll get her out. We can get her out of there." Eddie reassured her. "I won't let you go through this alone, I promise."

As Eddie placed his hand on the gear stick, he felt the cold palm of Betty rest atop of his own before he shifted it into the next gear. There was a slight tremor in her hand, a small shaking in anticipation and fear of what she might find when they arrived at the facility just outside of their home town. It was a reasonable fear to have, after so long of not knowing what her elder sister was. Even the concept of not seeing Polly for an extended period of time, was somewhat crushing to Betty. She had needed that elder sibling around her, to comfort her in those times where she couldn't have her mother or her father. Eddie didn't know what she was going through, but he could only imagine how awful it was for her.

At least his own parental absence was just that, an absence that had no mystery to it. His mother and father were nobodies, people who had left him to the one person who had raised him in a healthy household, even it was a household with a single parent. Polly was a person, she had a name and a personality, something that could be remembered. She was a River Vixen as well, she went out with one of if not the richest boy in the school and then she had just disappeared.

It was suspicious, criminally so.

As the engine of the Focus RS hummed along, the two teenagers remained silent as more pop music was filtered through the radio. No words needed to be said, the two were awkward enough not knowing what to do with themselves. Eddie was too concerned for his girlfriend to even know where to start, and Betty was just too shy to say anything lest she risk losing her best friend as well as her new investigator-turned-boyfriend. He was delicate in his own way, much like Betty knew she was fragile to a point. They were treading around each other, with one helping the other in ways that brought them closer together until they finally collided into the hot mess that was that iffy little event called romance.

"Thank you." Betty murmured, just under her breath. "I'll make this all up to you, I swear."

"No need, I'm here for you whenever you need me, okay?" Eddie replied, gently placing his hand on her lap. "I promise, whenever you need me, I'll be there for you. It's the least I can do, especially for you."

A light blush graced Betty's cheeks as the seats began to warm up, and she suddenly felt the warm breeze come from the car's radiators. Eddie must have turned them on as they were driving, and she had only realised as such at that moment. He had always been such a sweet boy, always kind and considerate to her and others. Obviously, he had his own ticks and aggression issues but that was something he was working out slowly. At least she hoped he was, but she would help him with that too. She might not have had a brother, but she knew how Archie, Eddie and Jughead ticked. She had grown up around those boys, and fixing one of them wouldn't take too much effort.

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

 _Fear._

 _It's the most basic, most human emotion._

 _As kids, we're afraid of everything._

 _The dark._

 _The boogeyman under the bed, the monster hiding in the closet._

 _And we pray for the morning, for those monsters to go away._

 _Although they never do, not really._

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

"My name is Archie Andrews, and I'm going to be performing an original song called 'I'll Try'."

"Try harder!" Reggie shouted from the back with some of the other Bulldogs. "Or try not suckin' so much!"

"Yeah, thanks Reggie." Archie mumbled under his breath away from the mic.

He was holding his guitar in his hand, with a hall that was slightly populated by some fellow students who wished to audition filtering through the stands. Reggie, Moose and the Bulldogs were all sat in the middle of the back row. Some others were sat on the right side of the stage as Kevin was sat right in front of the stage, busy trying to filter out the previous auditions in order to make way for the best of the best that Riverdale High could offer to the Seventy-Fifth Variety Show that year. The red-headed boy had been meaning to audition, and he had been in such a rush that morning he must have put himself off on the way to the school hall before he auditioned. As he stood up on the stage, he could feel his hands try to find the correct strings for the first chord.

 _Why am I struggling with this? I've practised this a million times, why am I shaking, what the hell is wrong. Nononononono…_

Archie was panicking, his lips were drying and he was choking on his words. Why couldn't he focus? He looked at everyone in the hall and they all looked back at him as his hand rest on the neck of his guitar. He stood up there as Veronica and Josie and Valerie watched with fascination. This was his one chance of showing what he could write, on his own and he had blown it. He'd made himself look like an idiot, in front of everyone that mattered.

"Archie, the clock's ticking." Kevin had said from the bottom of the stage. "We do have people waiting."

There was a faint laugh from the boys at the back, as Archie began to fiddle with microphone stand in front of him. As Veronica's eyes widened as she watched the auburn acme began to crumble right before her very eyes, and the eyes of everyone else. "Oh my god, what's happening?" She asked, with genuine concern as the lead singer of the Pussycats leant beside her.

"He's choking." She whispered, leaning forward to see the ginger's usually cool facade begin to crumble.

Archie stuttered. "S-s-s-sorry, I've got to go." He managed, before he ran right off the stage and back into the halls of the school.

He placed his guitar on the floor as he sank next to it, his back resting on one of the pillars as he lowered himself down. Taking deep breaths, Archie could feel his hands began to stop trembling, although slight shudders and cold shivers were still present. He felt awful, it was like all of the practice, everything he had worked for had just been for nothing. It was the end, if he couldn't sing or play on stage he had no chance of getting anywhere with it.

Soon, he could see the figure of Valerie turn the corner and immediately come towards him. Clad in all black, with her hair all tied up in one big bun she knelt down next to him in silence. The two sat there for a while, not speaking until Archie managed to forge a sentence out of sheer willpower. "When I was up there, looking out, I just froze..."

"That was stage fright, Archie." Valerie reassured him. "We all go through it."

"Yeah but when I'm on the football field, the stands can be packed and I have never reacted like that. It doesn't affect me at all."

"Singing makes you vulnerable in a way that football just doesn't." Valerie admitted to the redhead. "You are singing to these people, about things you would never tell them under any circumstances. It's hard, me and Josie know that."

"Or maybe what I needed up there, was a team. Or at least a partner to help out with the stage fright." Archie revealed in a burst of truth. "What if we sang 'I Got You' for the show?"

"Archie, you know I can't do that." Valerie said, looking away from the boy.

"Why not, Val? Can't you see I need the help?"

"Archie, you know and everyone else knows that I'm a Pussycat. We're headlining the Variety Show, I can't do anything." 

Archie sighed. "What if you sang with them first and then me, just this one time. Just so I get my sea legs."

Valerie shook her head and stood up, as Archie remained on the floor. "I can't walk out on the Cats, Archie. I'm sorry, but I can't."

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

It had not taken too long for them to actually get outside of the town, and soon they were surrounded by the lush green foliage of Fox Forest as the pair continued on their way to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy facility. If all of the B-grade horror films had taught Eddie anything, it was that group homes and asylums were never the best place to be in any kind of situation or scenario. It was either the nuns were psychotic, the orderlies were serial killers or the patients had all been experimented on to the point where they were more like monsters than humans.

To a small extent, the concept of entering a place like that horrified Eddie. It was one of those natural instincts he had, that going into a place like that just wasn't a good idea and staying away from it was a better idea. Knowing that Polly Cooper was locked up in there, made Eddie worry for her own welfare, as well as Betty's depending on what they would see if they ever got to see Polly at all. He was worried for both of the Cooper girls.

That feeling was amplified as soon as he actually laid eyes on the building.

That day, the weather had been noted down as being rather miserable and it could show. The sky had not a hint of blue, but instead absolutely grey with clouds beginning to gather above both the pair of teenagers and the group home. The building was the very opposite of what Eddie had expected, and that was to say it didn't look like some sort of Gothic monstrosity ripped fresh out of Transylvania. Instead, the building only had some elements of the traditional horror sideshow. The brickwork was filled with white and maroon and brown, archways carved out with expansive windows, covered by snow white curtains so nobody could see what kind of horrors were going on inside. The steps up to the entrance almost spelled 'impending doom' to Eddie. That was the one element of the building that stood out, the colourless grey of the steps with the statue of the Virgin Mary in front of it. The podium itself had a carving, whereupon it read 'The Sisters of Quiet Mercy'.

If such a place was meant to be a home, it did not look fit to be one. Nobody was perusing outside the front entrance, and it seemed like there were no visible cameras or security features either. The one vestige of nature were the two plants that sat at the top of the steps to the front door, and even they looked ready to perish. As Eddie and Betty got out of the car, it took them both a while to fully comprehend the building that Betty's parents had basically imprisoned Polly inside.

"This..." Eddie drawled. "It's basically a prison. Why the hell would your parents put Polly in here?"

"I don't know." Betty managed to reply, her lips quivering as she spoke. She turned to Eddie, who had quickly placed his hands in hers. "I need to find her and get her out of this terrible place."

"And we will. We will get her out Betty, but we need to see her in there right now. To see if she's still the same Polly that you know." Eddie spoke, trying to keep Betty from going over the edge.

"I know. I know." She muttered, tightening her high ponytail even more before the pair walked towards the entrance.

Walking up the stairs proved to be more of a challenge than it looked, as when Eddie placed his foot on one of the steps, the concrete seemed to crumble and almost trip him up. The fall would probably have knocked two of his teeth out if he hadn't caught himself on the handhold. As the facilities tried to kill the young man, Betty soon led the way into the reception. With drying paint and being dimly lit, Betty took a deep breath and walked towards the receptionist. The elderly woman that sat in the reception seemed to be busy stamping some random papers, a more colourful statue of Mary watching over her as she done so, joined soon after by a nun clad entirely in black.

Betty grumbled for a moment, catching the eye of the woman sat down before she spoke. "Hello, my name is Elizabeth Cooper and I'm here to see my sister, Polly."

"May I see some identification?" The woman asked, eyebrow raised as Betty fished out her student ID from her purse and handed it to the lady.

The woman glanced at the plastic card, the light above her and the statue reflecting off to light the her section of the room more than the teenagers'. The nun in the room remained silent, like a watchful protector over some hidden secret in the building. The woman soon handed the card back to Betty, with no sort of smile present. She looked at Eddie next. "You are going to have to wait, young man. Some patients in the female ward don't react well to the male orderlies, let alone someone like yourself."

"Wait, you mean I can't go for Betty? What if she needs me?" Eddie asked, frantically. "Please, can you just make one exception?"

"I am afraid not, young man. Like I have said, some patients in the female ward are extremely aggressive towards male orderlies and patients. I cannot permit you to enter, please, it's for your own safety." The receptionist repeated. "You will have to remain in the waiting room. Now, if you will follow me to your sister Elizabeth."

As the nun nodded at Edward, the young boy turned around to see an empty room that was about as dimly lit as the reception. Entering the room, Eddie took a seat in the furthest corner and took out his phone. Sitting down and turning down the brightness, Eddie began to type away at the keys furiously.

 **...Searching….**

 **...The Sisters of Quiet Mercy group home...**

 **...Showing results…**

 **NEWS:**

 **-Infamous Asylum Turned Group Home Still Open – Under New Management?**

 **-Patients Inside Infamous Quiet Mercy Home – Asylum Needed?**

 **-Group Home Riot Injures Seven – Quiet Mercy Closure Imminent?**

 **-Female Serial Rapist and Murderer Placed In Group Home – Getting Away With Murder?**

That last headline actually managed to give Edward the shakes, and as he turned to the doorway to leave and go outside, the nun from the reception had blocked the exit. As the clearly taller boy had walked over to the doorway, the nun refused to move and merely looked at Edward in total silence. If it was Chuck Clayton blocking the door, Edward wouldn't hesitate to throw an elbow in his face but since it was a nun that had done nothing wrong, his plan had already gone out of the window. The lady remained staring at him in dead silence, and Eddie soon began to turn back into the darker thoughts in his head. The niggling doubts in the back of his mind, that what might happen to Betty on her own whilst she was looking for Polly.

If there was already a criminally insane rapist-killer inside that home, only God knew who else could have been in there. If that was just the female ward, what about the male ward as well. Who knew what sick kind of psychopaths were inside as well.

Now he felt sick.

"Can I just go outside for some fresh air, please, Sister?" Edward asked, and soon the nun stepped out of the way as the young man went outside.

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

The receptionist had began to lead Betty to the female ward, the two women silent as they walked through the halls, well past the sign that had said 'female ward'. Whilst Edward had to be left behind, Betty regretted having to do so. He was her emotional support, and she needed him right then and there. The walls were crushing, compact and always one way to one destination. Nuns and orderlies were commonly walking in front of them, and it gave Betty the time to take in every little thing that was inside the home.

It was almost surgical, like the trail was leading to a surgery theatre. It was purely white and grey, with absolutely no dash or sprinkle of colour in sight. The patients that she did see were all dressed in the same uniform. A blue dress, black shoes and socks with a red dress coat. However, most of them had been kept in their rooms for that day. Betty was thankful for it, she didn't want to see what other hellish scenarios some other girls were going through as well as her own sister's demons.

"Your sister's room is right this way, but right now it's silent reflection time." The receptionist began. "Polly usually spends that time in the garden of deliverance."

As they walked past Polly's room, Betty couldn't resist the urge to look through the tiny window in the door. Like every other room in the home, the walls were a drab grey, but there were pipes visible in the roof of her sister's room. A crucifix nailed to the far right wall with a mangy bed, paint peeling off the actual structure that held the mattress. There was a desk with some littered books and papers, and no light was coming through aside the from grey skies visible through the window.

Entering the garden, Betty had began to feel the anxiousness she had done as soon as she had left the house, even as she had arrived at the hospital. That feeling had been replaced by the oppression of actually having to walk through the halls of the facility but finally being back out where she could see the sky was a welcome gift. Red, yellow and orange leaves littered the grass and there was a slight frost on the wind, as Betty's cheeks reddened as soon as she felt it brush against her face and through her hair. The receptionist soon led her to the small garden, populated only by one girl who was picking at a bunch of roses. As Betty walked towards the garden, the receptionist soon left to go back to her duties, allowing the sisters to reunite for the first time in months. Dressed in the bright blue dress, black shoes and red jacket, was Polly Cooper,

"Polly?"

The blonde girl turned to answer the call, seeing an identical blonde girl standing in front of her. Her eyes were dim for a moment until they saw the similar blonde hair. "Betty?" She asked, as if making sure it wasn't a dream.

The two sisters ran and crashed against each other in a heavy embrace, neither wanting to let go of the other, for fear of never getting to see each other again. As the two sibling looked at each other in disbelief that they had been reunited, Betty looked at her sister's stomach, finding a noticeable bulge as she placed her hand on it. No words were possible, as the look of pure joy and the shining smile on Polly's face said all that it needed to say.

 _ **-X-X-X-**_

 _ **First Chapter of 2019! Start as we mean to go on!**_

 _ **Also, please ignore the name change, I found a one that represents my football team and I'm feeling supportive for them rn.**_

 _ **-Based Anfield**_


	14. Chapter 13

_**Chapter 13: Fear Them**_

 _Walking out of the asylum, Eddie took the chance to get some fresh air. The asylum had the most foreboding environment, as if the very air inside the facility was fifty-percent gloom and fifty-percent doom._ _He was alone, and he was concerned on the fact that he couldn't even try to get past the reception without getting caught by the nun lingering outside the door._ _From what he knew, Polly was in there somewhere and it horrified him to a massive degree._ _Criminals were held there, unable or just not harshly sentenced enough to be put back into prison._ _An innocent girl was in there, and his girlfriend had waltzed inside as if it were nothing. They knew of the place, the Sisters that attended the hospital were of common knowledge._ _The bogeyman, the monster that hid in the woods._

 _He did have to admit, Betty must have had some courage to walk into the_ _halls of the damned place and then try to find her sister in the crowds of hundreds of other patients._ _He wished he could have been with her, he wished he could try to find Polly with her._ _At least that way he would have felt a little more confident about his girlfriend's safety._ _Now, he was stuck outside, looking at the blue car the pair had arrived in whilst he considered striding in like he was one of the Four Horsemen to find Betty and Polly._

 _The only thing he lacked was a horse, because he was seriously considering doing such._

 _ _Why are you just sitting outside, walk right in there and show the damn nuns who's the boss!__

 _ _Yeah, there's a thing called security and safety. That, and I do not want to risk getting caught by a rogue patient!__

 _"_ _No, screw this." Eddie growled. He took a few breaths and readied himself to walk back inside the facility and turned around. At first, he thought he had seen Betty. Then, he noticed that the blonde-haired woman was taller than Betty and much more weathered than his girlfriend ever was. The vulture that Alice Cooper was had followed them, tracked them right down and caught him like Eddie was a deer in headlights._

 _"Hello, Edward. Sectioning yourself for the good of the town?"_

 ** _X-X-X_**

 _The nun watched the garden had immediately grabbed her as soon as they knew she wasn't allowed in. It was under somebody's express wishes to not have anyone visit Polly. Instead, she was to remain there for as long as possible and stay there into her adulthood if need be. She never knew Jason had been killed, and her pained clutches at her bulging stomach said all it needed to say. Polly still loved Jason, after everything that she had been put through because of him. She slowly became everything that the Coopers didn't want her to be, and that shamed them, even more so due to having to be involved with that horrid family that resided in the Gothic horror house that leered above the town. They had changed her, it was noticeable. She was becoming rebellious, arguing violently with her father before she was eventually sent away for her own good._ _Now? She seemed worse. Agitated even._

 _The widened eyes, the bags underneath alongside the wretched red lines around beneath the corneas._ _She had become skinnier too, despite her prominent pregnancy. She was ashen-faced, the blood having almost entirely drained from her face._ _Her limbs seemed to be thinner than the rest of her entire body, almost as if she was hollowed out from the inside._ _Yet she seemed happy, at least until she had been told that Jason had been murdered._

 _It sent her into a full spiral. She clutched at her stomach with such resolved, such pain that she could barely even stand and fell to her knees as she sobbed._ _The closest thing that Betty could relate to her own pain was when she lost Grandma Annie, watching slowly as the dementia and the schizophrenia slowly began to take the grandmother she knew and loved be taken away from her, replacing with some angry woman who barely knew her own name._ _She had already seen one beloved relative wither away, she wouldn't bare the pain of seeing that happen to her own sister._ _As she was dragged away and back through the drab halls of the asylum, watching as some of the sisters and the nuns looked at her with pure disdain in their eyes._

 _To them, she had probably violated some sacred healing ground where they were 'helping' those patients. To her, it was catharsis. She needed to see her sister, desperately._

 _Through the grey walls and wooden doors, Betty was soon forced into a room that was already occupied. Looking at the young man who was sat down, she immediately recognised that it was Eddie. He hadn't been allowed further into the facility when they arrived. He had been forced into the room, and had not said a word as the other figure in the room remained quiet. As she turned, Betty recognised the smooth skin and bright blonde hair belonging to her mother and sighed aloud. The floor suddenly seemed to be rather interesting, as Betty resolved to look down at the black and white tiling as her mother quickly approached her youngest daughter._

 _"_ _Did you really think you could go through my purse, look through my diary and think I wouldn't find out, Elizabeth?_ _Did you think that I pay the Sisters for nothing, they alerted me as soon as they found out you were here to see your sister._ _" Alice began. "And enlisting one of your friends to get your there, you are extremely persistent._ _Maybe you should help at the Register, we could use a Lois Lane type like you._ _"_

 _"_ _I just wanted to see Polly, Mom. How hard is that to understand?" Betty asked, continuing to look at the floor._

 _Alice folded her arms across her chest, staring firmly at her child. "Not hard at all, but you have to understand that she is here for a reason. She is traumatised._ _She has to stay here, until she is better." The parent finished, resolving to look at her daughter even if she wouldn't look at her mother._

 _"_ _But why can't Betty see her own sister! Don't you think it's unreasonable to not let her see her own sister?" Eddie interrupted, only to have a finger pointed right in his face. "What, is the truth harsh?"_

 _"_ _Eddie, please..." Betty begged, for her boyfriend to stop provoking a fight with her mother._

 _"No, Betty, this boy is evil. You might not see it right now, but I know it. I knew your father, Edward. I know what you and your family are like. If you think Hiram Lodge is the only dirty person in your family, you are dead wrong. I know you, you are just like your cousin, Veronica. You are using my daughter for your own ends, how dare you even have the audacity, to try and insert yourself into a private family matter of ours! You should be ashamed of yourself!" Alice screeched like the mythological banshee killer before she turned to Betty. "You, you should know better than to go against what I tell you. You should trust me above anyone else, I am your mother!"_

 _The two orderlies outside were guarding the door, almost as if the three people inside were patients all of their own making. The more that Eddie heard Alice scream about how much his family were evil, dishonourable and he was like them, the more he wanted the shouting to stop. She couldn't talk, she was the one who sent her own daughter away to a group home when she fell in love with the wrong person. If anyone did that to him, he'd never want to see them again, let alone even possibly consider them family._ _All he had was his father, and while he knew he wasn't his blood, Eddie considered him to be the closest thing to it. The Lodges were his family, and he was one of the Lodges._ _Yet, if he were a Lodge he wouldn't let Alice disrespect him like that. He wouldn't have let her disrespect his family like the way she did. She never directly accused them or stated they were doing something, only implied they were dirty people, as if they were scavenging and now feasting on Riverdale's deceased idealism and innocence._

 _"You lied to me! How am I meant to trust you?" Betty pleaded, her eyes on the verge of spilling tears on her pale skin. "You told me Polly was in a group home, not an insane asylum! How is she safer here? She's with those people!"_

 _"_ _Enough!" Alice yelled, silencing her internally-raging daughter and keeping her male companion quiet. "_ _We are going home, and your conquistador boy-toy can get himself home and stay away from you, is that clear?"_

 _There was a dead silence in the room, indicating that the two had gotten the parent's demand._ _The blonde siren had grabbed her daughter by the hand and left the side room,_ _only to turn to her immediate left and see the one person she was hoping not to._ _Her eldest daughter had turned as soon as she had sensed the two presences behind her. Polly's eyes widened as soon as she set her sights on her mother, Betty directly behind on the edge of crying her eyes out._ _She was incensed. It was the first time she had seen her own mother since she had been imprisoned in the hidden facility. It was as if she had forgotten all about her, like she was just another dirty little secret of the Cooper family. She was one more secret to be added to Riverdale's massive collection of such hidden information. The light above them seemed to flicker as soon as Polly had laid her sights on Alice, and the orderlies escorting her back to her own room were too late to react as soon as Polly had thrown herself at her mother._

 _"_ _Jason's dead! And you didn't tell me! And you kept me in here!" Polly shouted, seeming to soon tower over her mother in her rage. The orderlies had soon heard the shouting from the clearly-manic patient and ran to grab her._

 _Just as they done so, the reluctant mother had tried to speak out against her daughter's accusations. "Baby, please it's for your own good."  
_

 _"You always said that but it's not true. It's never been true!" Polly growled, before she turned to Betty. "Don't listen to her! She's lying, she's lying to all of you! I need to get out, I need to get out!"_

 _Her outburst was over as soon as it had started, and Eddie had just walked out of the room to see the orderlies and a nurse put her to sleep with a sedative._ _Eddie couldn't comprehend what had just happened before his very eyes, but he now knew what had been happening within the Cooper household and it seemed terrifying._ _Having a sister hidden away because of the shame of finding her pregnant with the family rival was something that the Coopers were right to be ashamed of. They'd feel the full brunt of it if the rest of the town ever found out, which hopefully they wouldn't. Betty already had dealt with enough bullying to last a lifetime, she didn't need more._

 _"_ _I promise, Polly, I'll get you out of here, I promise!"_

 ** _X-X-X_**

 _"_ _Polly needed to hear the truth, the honest truth from somebody who wouldn't lie to her!" Betty exclaimed to the two parents in front of her. "And I did too!"_

 _"So? Did you find what you were looking for?" Her father fired back, not as worried about the whole situation as her mother was._

 _On the way back from the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, her mother had phoned up Hal in the car, demanding that he get home immediately. There was a mass of shouting and questioning until Alice had uttered the dreaded word of 'Polly' that the phone speaker went silent, if only for a moment before the patriarch of the family muttered a tame 'I'll be on my way' before the call ended._ _As soon as they had arrived, Betty had rushed up to her room without a word said towards her mother. She was too distressed to even try and talk to her when they had returned home. It had been maybe ten minutes since Hal had gotten home, and immediately the two elders had went to see their daughter with the grilling of a lifetime._

 _The only disadvantage was that Betty had now seen everything they had been hiding. She wouldn't trust them any more, and neither would that damned Lodge boy either. It didn't bother Alice so much that Betty had found out, if anything she was proud of her daughter's investigative skills. It infuriated her that Betty had taken of all people the Lodge boy that wasn't even a Lodge. Alice wasn't stupid, she knew the boy was an adoption. He didn't look at all like his 'father', and now he had found out the one secret he should never have really found out._ _She just prayed that he never told his father, or any of his other friends. Alice wished that her daughter would never see him again, but she knew that forbidding it would just make her want to do it even more than she did at that moment in time._ _ _Damn that Lodge boy, damn him to all hell…__ _Alice thought before she placed her head in her hand as she listened to her husband and child._

 _"_ _Honestly, dad, no. I didn't." Betty muttered, as she curled herself up into a ball. She had been balling her eyes out since she got home and it was only recently where she had managed to stem the tide of salty, make-up-dirtied water that fell down her cheeks. She felt like she was beginning to crack, slowly but surely her entire life was coming apart with each secret they had being revealed to her. "_ _You hate them, the Blossoms, so much. You hated Jason dating Polly. As soon as she began to show, you sent her away. You were so angry, weren't you?"_

 _Then the next words fell from her lips, words that would shock both her parents that she could even consider such an accusation. "It gives you a motive."_

 _Hal squinted at his daughter as the words were uttered. "Motive? For what, what do you think I did, Betty?"_

 _Like she had done before, Betty began to wring her hands together, which soon turned to her digging her nails into the thin skin of her palms as she spoke to her father. "_ _You killed Jason Blossom. You have hated them, for forever. Ever since me and Polly were little, we could remember every time you were raging, it was about the Blossoms. You would be a suspect, just because of how much you solely hated them! You shot Jason, and you threw him in the river and then made sure you got rid of any evidence Sheriff Keller had."_

 _"_ _You think I killed Jason Blossom? You think I stole Sheriff Keller's evidence?" Hal inquired, disbelief being amplified in his voice the more he spoke. "Betty, what you are saying, what you are accusing me of is absurd."_

 _"_ _Is it though, Dad?"_

 _"Yes it is!"_

 _As soon as Hal had fired back at his insolent brat of a daughter, he heard a distinct chuckle. Neither he or Betty had made it, and soon the two looked to their other relative. Alice's shoulders were rising and lowering in a quick fashion with that chuckle intermittent before becoming faster and more light-hearted. Raising her head from her hands, Alice's eyes were watering with an almost clown-like smile evident on her face. Betty looked at her as if she were insane, because at that moment it looked as if that for once, Alice Cooper had finally broken down and lost her nerve._ _She was laughing, laughing directly as Betty watched in abject confusion. It was a bit of a stretch to_ _determine her father as Jason's killer, but there were no other leads at that time. He was suspicious, and he very well could have broken into the sheriff's home. Even if he did not seem like the one person who would actually commit such a crime. She knew of nobody else who would do such a thing unless they were also the killer._

 _"_ _Where were you then, because you weren't here! You weren't with Mom when she had to put Miss Grundy on trial in front of me, Eddie, Archie and Mister Andrews! So where were you?" Betty shouted, overshadowing the cacophony of laughter coming from her mother._

 _"I was at the Register, Betty. I was working late. We have told you this. We told you at the start of the school year that we would be very busy, especially with the Blossom case." Hal responded. "What you're saying. It's insane, Betty. Insane."_

 _Alice spoke next, finally having recovered from her laughing fit. "You think he killed Jason? Your father? You think he had the stomach, you think he had the balls to kill that boy? I wish he killed Jason!"_

 _"Alice..." Hal whispered, silently reminding his wife of the implication of what she had just said. She had wished the child dead, even though he had done nothing wrong to them._

 _"_ _I wish I had killed Jason after what he did to Polly!" Alice spat. "I hope he suffered a cruel death, because he deserved everything he got!"_

 _It was Hal who had soon decided to leave the room, Alice's rant about how she wanted to kill Jason and how he could never do something had tired him out. He didn't even want to go back to the office. He was tired of hearing the name 'Jason Blossom' and he was tired of the name 'Blossom' in general. He might very well have abhorred that family, he abhorred Clifford especially for how he held himself above every other man in the town._ _He was slowly beginning to loathe his own wife, with how vile she was being._ _Why did she have to be so controlling, why did she have to be so damn crazy that she would send away their daughter from their home?_ _As soon as he left the room, he had turned into the bedroom and dropped himself onto the soft blankets and closed his eyes. It was only two in the afternoon._

 _Alice closed in on her daughter, sitting on the bed next to her. "I swear, Elizabeth, you sound crazy. Just like your sister."_

 _"Stop saying that, Mom! She's not crazy!"_

 _"But she is, Elizabeth. She is depressed and she is delusional! Did you really believe that story she told you, the same story she told me? That she was going to run away with Jason and live life happily on a farm somewhere out in Montana or god-knows-where?" Alice inquired, getting nearer. "You don't have to believe whatever your father is saying or what I am saying, because we are your parents. You will listen to us, regardless of if you want to or not."_

 ** _X-X-X_**

 _Her parents had left for the Register later after their confrontation, and as much as Betty did not want to break the rules again, she knew she had to._ _Polly would never lie to her, she couldn't ever lie to anyone in the house. She was either too see-through or she ended up cracking under the pressure and telling Betty. That usually meant that Betty would tell her father, because she was daddy's little girl and that meant Alice would find out through her husband late at night. The truth would always come out, whether it was through the familial cycle of snitching or if Alice found out herself when she looked for whatever her children were hiding._

 _" _T__ _ _hey threw me in the back of a van. I was screaming. I don't think I stopped screaming until I got here, in this place. Have you talked to him? Does he know that I'm here?"__

 _" _Who, Polly?"__

 _" _Jason. If I give him a message, will you make sure it gets to him? What does he think happened? He knows that I'm here because of Mom and Dad, right? I can fix this, Betty. I know I can. You just have to help me get out of here, and then I'll go to meet him. I'll go to the car on the lost highway off of Route 40. Once you pass the old maple syrup sign, then you'll know you're almost there."__

 _Thankfully, that was the one part of the story that her mother did not know. That somewhere off of the Forty that there was a wagon with everything they would need in there for the trip to Montana, a trip to their new life._ _Yet, what if she was lying? It was a constant thought as she hiked her way to the Lodge forest hideout._ _Quickly tapping in the code for the main gate, she slid through before closing them and stepped over to the door._ _The stained glass of the grey steel door hid whoever opened the door, before revealing an older, Hispanic man dressed in all black combat gear. MMA gloves were strapped tight over his hands before he began to undo them_ _and he spoke before Betty could even introduce herself._

 _"You must be one of Edward's friends." The man spoke. "Julian Lodge, his father."_

 _"_ _I'm Betty Cooper. I'm his… uh..."_

 _"Girlfriend?" Julian interrupted. "Typical kid. Doesn't tell me anything._ _You're Alice's girl, right?"_

 _"_ _Yes, sir."_

 _"Please, call me Julian. I like to be less formal than my brother here." Julian warned. "Yeah, I went to school with her for a little while before I left this town. Edward's in the cage if you want to see him. I'll let you two have some time to yourselves. I doubt your mother let's you have that pleasure."_

 _"_ _Thank you so much, Mister..."_

 _"Julian, Elizabeth. Call me Julian."_

 _As Betty rushed through the house and into the massive house, scouring for the cage room, she noticed how large the house was once more. It looked like a house that could have fit millionaires in (which it did) but also humble enough for two men in the house to live in as well. As soon as she had gotten through the maze of a house and entered the expanse that was the room with the octagonal cage inside, she saw Edward in the white fighting gear, the opposite to his father. Pale, tall and built like some kind of human-Sherman tank._ _He was sitting on the edge of the cage, phone in hand with the white wraps still around his limbs. He looked over to her as soon as he heard her brown boot heels click against the floor, dropping from the cage he went over to hug her before he grabbed the white tracksuit bottoms and placed them on his legs over the Vale Tudo shorts he wore._

 _"_ _I think I might be going crazy. I'm actually going crazy." Betty confessed as she tried to force herself into Edward's chest as much as possible. "I think my parents might be right, maybe I am like Polly. What if I am like her, what if I'm going to go insane?"_

 _"_ _You're overreacting, Betty. Calm down." Eddie whispered into her ear as a soothing, calming figure. "You're not crazy." He said as he placed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, gentling smelling_ _the lilac in her hair._

 _Eddie could feel her shake in his arms, squeezing him tighter as they spent more time in the massive room. "I need to ask you something, a favour."_ _She spoke, almost a hushed whisper._

 _"Baby, you know I would do anything for you if you asked me to." Eddie quickly replied as he grabbed his white sneakers from the floor and separated himself from Betty so he could put them on. "What's the sitch?"_

 _"_ _We need to go on the Route 40, and then get off by the old maple farms."  
_

 _It took those words and soon the two were in the blue car once more, Eddie driving furiously as the car began to warm up minute by minute. Reaching the edge of the town and soon ripping through the night-time traffic as the pair cut across the Route 40 until they saw the sign that read out as the 'Blossom Maple Farms'. The turn-off wasn't far off, and soon they had come off the well-worn road and soon into the dirt-tracks of the abandoned and long-forgotten_ _farm. The paint had already peeled off the silo and the barn house. The speckles of red were all that remained, a small reminder of who owned the land they were on. As they drove down the mud, Eddie turned on the hi-beams of the Focus until the familiar wood finish of a car wagon was visible in the thundering rainfall._ _As they opened the doors, the waters lashed down on the two teenagers before Betty opened the trunk of the hidden car. Boxes with clothes and supplies for the trip to Montana were visible, but there was an unlocked steel case in front of it all._

 _As soon as Eddie opened the steel case, he noticed the large plaster bags of marijuana and baggies filled to the brim with pills._ _Eddie didn't touch them, and neither did Betty as soon as she looked through the car boot before she turned to her boyfriend. "We need to get Sheriff Keller."_

 ** _X-X-X_**

 _ _That night, one woman went missing.__

 _ _When Betty Cooper went to see her sister once again, she found her room ransacked. The window open with no sister in sight.__

 _ _Polly had escaped the horror that was the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, only to be forced to run through the wilds of Fox Forest to keep herself hidden away from everyone who would soon wish to find her.__

 _ _And the station wagon hidden in the outcast lands of the maple farms, was found late in the witching hour. It's steel corpse warped and charred, blackened and burnt.__

 _ _After fifty years, there was another missing person in Riverdale.__

 ** _X-X-X_**

 ** _Sorry for the lateness of this update, school has been cracking down on me and I believe this might have affected the quality of this chapter. I'll try and get back into a regular schedule. That, and Season 3 is beginning to annoy me like 2 did._**

 ** _Damn, I feel like an old man complaining about this show._**

 ** _-The Based Anfield.-_**


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Lost & Damned**

 _One missing child, is one child too many._

 _When it comes down to it, we would never think of teenagers and children as the same thing._

 _Children, they are innocent and perfect. They can never do wrong, and can always be seen as these beautiful beings who will one day soon become just like us and live like us._

 _Teenagers?_

 _Teenagers are like horrific experiments that are moody, living like zombies with no motivation to do what children will one day do. They are twisted, pulsating masses that drain both time and money._

 _There are four-hundred and sixty thousand reported cases of missing children in the United States, every year._

 _Since Polly had escaped, Riverdale had reported the first missing person in fifty years._

 _And you have to ask the question, what is it that makes a place feel like home?_

 _Warmth and familiarity? Some kind of idealised and make-believe TV version of the American Dream?_

 _Is it love and acceptance? Or is it simple safety?_

 _Riverdale was not a home._

 _The town darkened, as it was no longer the town with pep which it labelled itself as._

 _Instead, Riverdale had turned into a sanctum of secrets, darkness creeping into the town as Winter approached._

 **X-X-X**

Clipping the black cotton suspenders to the back of his black jeans, Eddie felt the firm smack of the two shoulder belts as he twanged them against his chest. He had been too casual as of late, in everything he had done and to some extent he felt a need to combat that. It was a Tuesday, which by all means was definitely not a bad day. It wasn't raining and when he opened the window closest to his bed, the room wasn't flooded with the rolling winter winds. The traffic going into Riverdale, like always, was non-existent. Closing the windows and turning, Eddie took a moment to observe the room he had.

One wall had a collage of pictures, memories with his friends from throughout the years. Pictures as a group, him, Betty, Archie and Jughead messing around all about Riverdale. Camping in Fox Forest, swimming at The Hole where Archie ended up getting covered in leeches. Reunions from the Summer when they met up before school, dates at Pop's that would never be forgotten in a long time. Other pictures were littered in between or around those pictures. It was him branching out, with the pictures in Riverdale being in the middle of the wall, with pictures branching out. Images with his father or Veronica whilst they were in New York, or the occasional vacation to another country where they could just relax or explore.

Canada, Argentina, Brazil, France, Italy, Egypt. There were so many pictures of the younger version of Edward that it sometimes shocked Eddie himself how much he had grown. The black full-length mirror revealed the full changes between Eddie at age twelve and Eddie at sixteen. Too many changes to count, that was. Eddie had shot up from being some five-five kid who weighed one-hundred and twenty-five pounds to standing over most people at six foot two and then growing into two hundred and ten pounds of pure muscle. It was quite the change, almost as dramatic as Archie's over the summer.

The two had gone from these small little boys into strong men, and it was weird.

Sliding on some black sneakers and grabbing his denim jacket, Eddie slid downstairs and into the kitchen. Dropping his satchel on the kitchen island, Eddie looked over to his dad as he poured himself a cup of coffee. His father had yet to speak, but that was not needed when the radio crackled into life and the announcer spoke for him.

" _...Early in the morning, the authorities were alerted to an escapee from The Sisters of Quiet Mercy mental hospital. The girl, known to many as Polly Cooper, escaped through the broken window of her room in the night and has not been seen since. Police are urging everyone to remain calm and non-aggressive if they do see the escapee. She has been labelled as a danger to herself and others..."_

As his father turned the radio off, the voice of announcer began to vanish from the grey marble kitchen. The elder male in the room took the silence in stride and turned to his son, where Eddie held his hands up in a surrendering motion as his coffee began to cool down. "Didn't have anything to do with it."

"No, but I know you are with the other girl in that family." Julian explained, turning off the old-time radio. "What was her name, Elizabeth?"

"Betty. She prefers Betty." Eddie growled, gaining a smirk from his father before Eddie began to sip at the coffee.

"She's pretty." Julian commented. "What you doing getting girls like that to speak to a little shit like you, huh? Does she know you like to beat your old man up in a cage, or is that a secret?"

Eddie stared blankly at his father, watching the older man as he sipped at the coffee. It happened from time to time, his father needling him to the point where it was either a test or just old Julian Lodge trying to get some small enjoyment out of some comedic bullying. He never questioned it, especially since Julian took him in and turned him into something other than a useless piece of trash. He could read, count, fight like an animal and he had everything he needed because of that name, _Lodge._

"I should have told you, Betty is attracted to kids who like to beat geriatrics up in a big octagon." Eddie shot back. "So next time she comes to our place, fancy taking a beating for me, it would really help."

Julian laughed, before it turned into a hacking cough. "You're funny. The time I let you kick my ass is the day I'll dig my own grave."

Eddie quickly drank the remainder of the coffee, watching as his father remained at a slow sip before he went over to the wooden board hanging from the wall. A small collection of keys hung from each hook implanted in the wood. The black keys that read 'Ford' were soon plucked out and swung around carelessly, Eddie whistling away before his father ended up calling him back into the kitchen. The older man was still slurping at a snail's pace when he walked back in, but the manner in which he held himself had changed. He had stood up from the leather stool, and quickly downed the rest of the coffee before he placed the cup into the sink. The man turned to his son, and while he might have been short in stature it did not matter.

The man held himself like a lawyer or attorney would do in the courtroom, with confidence and a stride in his step. He had yet to begin to grey, but he did show that slow process of ageing. The wrinkles were just beginning to show but his remained in that slick black coat and his eyes had not lost the youth inside. His hands had found themselves tucked in his pockets, and he strutted around with his chest out like he owned the place (which he did).

"Look, kid." Julian began. "The whole situation with Jason Blossom and now Polly Cooper, I'm going to be hiring some guys to watch over the property."

"You're hiring guards? Seriously? Dad, it's Riverdale!" Eddie exclaimed. "Don't you think it's a bit overboard?"

"No, in this case I do not."

Eddie began to squint at his father, and he focused on the older man and the revelation of his own future plans. They had never had to hire a driver, they were both capable and now they were having to hire men to guard them and their property twenty-four-seven. Eddie didn't know whether to feel more secure in his own home, or whether he would feel more paranoid about his own father not feeling secure in their home. Both thoughts were worrying.

 **X-X-X**

The hot water scalded against Jughead's pale skin, and the more he thought about it, the better he felt. This was the longest he had been away from his home, and while he was not exactly couch-surfing per say, it was letting him have more independence. The demon that was the drink forced Jughead away from the hell that was Sunny Side Trailer Park, the one place that was technically the only home he knew and he would avoid going back there like it was the plague.

He had been worried in the past, sometimes having to beat the pavement out for a place to sleep but it was worth it. He didn't have to deal with the hellish ruler of the trailer park that was his father and his goons either. Seeing the leather jackets around the town was enough of a reminder about the town's own gangsters. Like the intermittent spurts of hot and cold water from the school shower, sometimes they were a problem and others they were not.

The Twilight Drive-In was his temporary refuge, one that he hoped would last until his father had kicked the booze out of his system for a little bit at least. That hope was dashed as soon as he realised that the land that the Drive-In stood upon was being purchased and then demolished for some kind of mall that was not needed at all. Riverdale had all the commerce it required, a mall was just a little too much. The quirky little name of So-Dale just left the bitter taste in his mouth.

Riverdale was throwing away history in order to commercialise itself once more, and it sickened Jughead. More so that it took away his side-job but also took that refuge that he had. It felt like a personal attack upon himself.

Now?

Riverdale High School was his next reluctant retreat. There was a small cupboard under the stairs he could slip his clothing and sleeping kit in, and the school had decent enough facilities to use in any case. It was comfortable enough and after the first few days of sleepless nights he was beginning to get used to the occasional haunting creak of the stairs above him. From time to time it would wake him, but it was a slight stir before he faltered back into the pillow.

As the pipes creaked and the water stopped, Jughead quickly found the towel and dried himself off promptly. His toiletries were nearby and he began his morning routine just before the school opened. Brushing his teeth, he observed the grey walls confined him, they crushed him and his creative spirit. The novel he was writing, based on Jason's death no less felt as imprisoned as he was in the school. As tiring as it was to go to bed late and wake up early, it was necessary. Sometimes he was forced to break into the school to even get to his safe place, the rickety window for the second English Literature classroom his only way of entering and that sometimes ended up with some unnecessary splinters in his hands.

"Jughead?"

The raven-haired teen quickly spun around, to see his red-headed friend in all his glory. The blue and gold letterman jacket was accented by the masses of grey all around them. Jughead made sure to tighten the towel around his waste before he took the still-dripping toothbrush from his mouth. "Hey, man. What are you doing in this early?"

"That's what I was about to ask you, how come you're in so early?" Archie asked, stepping forward to see his friend more clearly. "Bro, seriously, why are you here?"

"Making use of the school's state-of-the-art facilities? What else would I be doing?"

It did not take long for Archie to soon catch on to what was happening. Jughead finished his morning preparation and got dressed, the crowned beanie returning to it's permanent place on Jughead's forehead as they opened the cupboard under the stairs to see where Jughead now resided.

Archie was dumbfounded by what he saw, the fact that his best friend since childhood was basically homeless. It was not even the fact that he was forced into it, he was forcing himself into voluntary homelessness out of his safety. The only thing that was different was Archie's definition of 'safety'. Staying in a school cupboard which was not fit for cockroaches wasn't safe for his friend.

"Why the hell are you not at home?" Archie asked, arms leaning heavily against the frame.

Jughead sighed. "Truth is, things aren't too good at home right now. It's Dad, he fell off the wagon. Again. I think it was after your dad fired him, to tell you the truth. I don't know any more, Archie. It's happened so many times."

Archie wrapped his hand around Jughead's shoulder. "`Look, we're gonna find you a place to see that doesn't include having to sleep with spiders and mice."

"Spiders and mice don't co-inhabit the same location." Jughead replied, looking at the massive backpack that held the remainder of his keepsakes. "Do you not watch National Geographic, Archie?"

"Not when I'm worried about where my best friend is sleeping. Does your dad know your sleeping in the school?"

Jughead gave a short shake of his head. "No, he thinks I'm just couch-surfing."

"Well, screw this place. Come live with me."

"Arch, this is just temporary. I swear, I'll find somewhere else soon enough. Just… don't tell anyone else, okay?" Jughead pleaded. "Especially not Betty."

"Why Betty? It's not like she'd hate you if she found out. We're all friends here, man. She'd be on my side if she found you like I did." Archie replied as Jughead closed the cupboard door. "If anyone's gonna be a snob about it, maybe Veronica and that's it."

"What, and Eddie won't side with his 'dear cousin' if he found out? Yeah, I doubt that." Jughead muttered under his breath. "He's just as bad as her."

Archie turned to stare at Jughead. "Look, just because he has the same name as Veronica and has the same lifestyle as her doesn't mean he's spoilt."

Archie knew that Eddie was a lot more well off than most people in the town they resided in, he matched Cheryl for how rich he was. His dad was an investment banker, working from home and they profited nicely from his work. Eddie didn't exactly share the same aptitude for maths but he showed the fruits of his father's labour well enough. Occasionally he would come in those expensive brands, wearing watches that would cost thousands of dollars like he was trying to go head-to-head against Cheryl at her own game. Whilst he didn't have Cheryl's blood red 1961 Chevrolet Impala, he rode around in that sapphire blue Ford Focus RS like it was his own war horse.

He was spoilt, when Archie really thought about it. He only really threw it around when he was near Cheryl. The two of them were odd, especially with each other. They had some sort of brotherly-sisterly bond, as weird as that was to say with the events of Jason's death being under such a microscope that the entire town wondered who killed him. In school, it was different. They were part of different cliques, the exact opposite of each other. Cheryl's group was the cheerleaders, the preps while Eddie was in their group alongside Archie and Jughead, Betty and Veronica. They were a mix of all kinds, the outcasts from each group forming their own collective. They were the inbetweeners.

"Come on, let's get some breakfast from Pop's." Archie said as the pair began to sneak out of the unopened school. "We can be in and out before school even starts."

 **X-X-X**

"I can't believe it even got on the radio."

"Betty, you can't hide stuff like that from people. It was for safety reasons."

"My sister isn't a psychopathic murderer, Eddie!"

The blonde detective had suffered the wrath of her mother and father once more that morning. They had deemed Polly's escape as Betty's fault, that her just going to see her sister had caused her relapse into psychopathy and made her flee the facility outside of Riverdale. Now, she was missing and the entire town might as well have known about their runaway daughter. She was lucky enough to have had Eddie pick her up, even if her furious mother had grown even more incensed when she saw the same blue car outside like she had done outside the Quiet Mercy facility.

The two teens had pulled into the school's parking lot, but before Betty could get out of the car Eddie had locked the doors. Betty grimaced before she turned to her boyfriend, and she was not exactly in the mood to speak about anything. She had yet to cry, but it seemed to Eddie like she was refusing to do so any more after what had happened that morning. "Eddie, unlock the car." She requested, but the car remained locked.

Eddie took off his seatbelt and turned to the blonde beauty. Her skin was beginning to go pale in the slowly-freezing October winds, adding even more beauty to her figure. If Eddie could even elicit the words, he would have said he adored her. She was his world and he just didn't know how to word it. Of course, adoring her in such a way and being with her also meant having to socialise with her family from time to time and those times had not been the greatest. Her mother hated him and it seemed like her father was able to mildly put up with him.

The car had a certain warmth to it, although it began to disappear when the engine stopped rumbling. "Please, talk to me Betty."

"About what?" She spurned his hand as it wandered to her shoulder. "About how the entire town thinks my sister might try and kill them in their sleep?"

"About how you're feeling." Eddie replied, his hand drifting. "I know you don't talk about it with your mom. You never would have had the chance this morning, especially since I heard that radio broadcast as well."

Betty sighed, and she closed her eyes before she rested her head against the rest on the car seat. She hadn't really had a chance to just unwind in a while, she had been caught up in the whirlwind of her sister's pleas for help and the Blossom murder. The last time she really felt comforted was when they were in the garage, peeling the paint off of the Shelby Cobra. Where they had shared their first kiss but hadn't had the chance to follow up any time after due to them finding out about Polly and her whereabouts.

"I just… I don't know how I am meant to feel about my entire family hiding things from me. I think my dad might have done some things he shouldn't have done, my mom put Polly in a mental facility and now my sister is missing. I almost lost two of my best friends because of what happened over the summer and I feel like every little thing that is around me is crumbling and I can't handle it all at once and it just gets to be too much…."

As Betty trailed off, her words became quiet and turned into hushed whispers. She fell into Eddie's shoulder as she began to sniffle. She refused to cry, she did not let the tears fall down her cheeks. Eddie wrapped his arms around the blonde girl, holding her in a tight embrace. "It's okay. You know you can talk to me, you know I'm here for you."

The distant thundering of the bells was heard, and the two teens headed into the school as they regained their cool. The student lounge was occupied by their friends, with Archie, Jughead, Veronica and Kevin all sitting around since their homeroom teacher wasn't in that day. Instead, they had made themselves comfortable as Betty and Eddie sank into the nearby leather couch. Betty did not say much that morning, as she was still recovering from the grilling that Alice Cooper had delivered unto her. What did not go unnoticed was the fact that as she remained silent, she had sank into Edward's side, his arms wrapped her around shoulder as her own were draped around his stomach.

Later that day, Veronica and Betty were walking through the corridors to the next class, which just so happened to be maths. The two decided upon trying to look for Polly outside the land that was owned by the Quiet Mercy facility. Once that was all sorted, Veronica was much more focused on the boy that Betty had walked into the homeroom with that morning.

"So, correct me if I am wrong but did I see Riverdale's next up-and-coming sport star wrap his arms around you this morning?" Veronica asked. "Because if I did, may I add you might need to know a few things..."

"Such as?" Betty responded, keeping her eyes firmly focused on the textbook in front of her as she wrote down her calculations. "The fact that he likes to drive around a lot, doesn't always answer his phone..."

"Often comes into school with bruises, fat lips and cuts on his face?" Veronica muttered to her fellow blonde cheerleader. "You do know what Eddie's favourite past time is, right? He likes to fight."

"I know." Betty whispered, as Miss Carnegie scanned the room to make sure the students were working.

"What, how can you know?"

"Because I have known Edward since we were like six." Betty continued to whisper. "I have been friends with Jughead and Archie since we were six, just like we've been friends with Eddie. Me and him were just a lot more sociable with each other, kind of like Archie and Jughead were. It was weird when he started getting into all that stuff. But he enjoyed it, and it gave him and his dad something to talk about. One day we sparred..."

"Hold on, wait right there." Veronica seemed to be spurred on by Betty's revelation. "You sparred with Eddie, seriously?"

"Yeah… I managed to kick him really hard and I actually kind of hit him… really hard too." Betty revealed. "I felt awful for days, his face swelled up so hard."

"Wow. I don't think anybody has ever really beaten him in… anything." Veronica whispered, readjusting her glasses so she could look at the work. "I mean, are you sure you'd want to be with him? He can be quite… ugh."

Betty quickly swivelled her head to look around, once more making sure that she couldn't be seen talking by the teacher. "Look, in these past few days I haven't been in the best place emotionally and Eddie has… helped me to say the least. He was there for me and from there it just kind of happened."

"Swoon!"

Miss Carnegie soon honed in on Veronica's outburst of emotion. "Miss Lodge, if you would focus on the work please."

"Sorry, Miss."

 **X-X-X**

Some would consider Cheryl Blossom a masochist, if they ever knew what it was like living with her parents at Thorn Hill.

But some things were just too much for Cheryl, and being punished just for wanting to commemorate her brother in a eulogy was pure cruelty. However, it was not unexpected. Her mother was a cruel mistress, ruling over her with an iron fist. Except that iron fist was then turned to pure ice when Jay-Jay died, and Cheryl was the only one remaining of her spawn. How the hell could her own mother punish her for grieving?

Because she could was one answer, but because she was ashamed of Cheryl was the other. Her parents had groomed Jason for what felt like ages now, groomed and raised him to be the next Chief Executive Officer for the Blossom Maple Company. They were treated like pigs, and Cheryl was the abortive runt of them all. Of course, nobody else could see that. All they saw was that Jason and her were rich and popular, how could they possibly have an issue at home?

But no, oh no she definitely had some issues. Nobody knew that more than herself, and maybe Edward. He knew what her life was like, he lived that life with her and Jason and he had seen what Penelope Blossom was capable of when she wanted to be a spiteful demoness.

Currently, she had been chained to her mother like a damned dog. Ever since the funeral the only time she had to herself was at school, and even then she had to be surrounded by such droll people that she might as well have been chained to her mother. At least she actually cared about what her mother did, it directly affected her as much as she despised it. The she-devil was necrotic, she killed people and then would feed off what was left of the corpse. Now, Cheryl might as well have been crawling around on the floor at her mother's beck and call.

And that was exactly what she was doing.

The sheriff's office was so dull and drab, the only reason it was vaguely connected to Cheryl was due to her brother's fate. It had been months now since his body had erupted from the depths of the Sweetwater and the case seemed to have almost gone cold. That was at least until the knight in shining armour and his blonde female squire that followed him like a lost lamb had discovered a car filled with drugs and her brother's prints on the steering wheel.

"Mrs. Blossom," Sheriff Keller began. "Our forensics team are scouring every inch of that car, we are this close to break in your son's case."

What the two of them didn't know, was that Cheryl had one exact break which the dumb detective and the damnable demoness had yet to know about.

"Speaking of breaks, how much is one break worth to you, mother?" Cheryl started. "Letting me be a River Vixen again?"

"What are you talking about Cheryl?"

"I have information that the both of you, Mother and Sheriff Keller, would find quite interesting." the red-headed heiress announced. "But first, the River Vixens. I want them back. I want your permission to reclaim them."

"Good Lord, fine." Mrs. Blossom relented, her eyes rolling from her daughter back to the sheriff. "The Vixens are yours."

"Now then, I got a text from Ginger while she was in the bathroom and apparently those who still use a radio in this present day have heard a very interesting warning this morning. It seems that some crazy bitch named Polly Cooper escaped from a mental facility last night. Now, we all know that Jason and Polly were dating before she went Hitchcock psycho so let me do the maths for you if you two can't. Polly escaping plus Polly torching that wagon equals she is Jason's killer. She is covering her tracks, hiding like the vicious and cold-blooded mean girl that she is."

Just as Sheriff Keller was about to take a note, Cheryl raised her hand to interrupt him. "Oh, and I just tweeted this out to all of my minions. The pressure is on, Sheriff."

 **X-X-X**

The day had been tiring, but Jughead somehow managed to persevere through it despite how brutal and torturous it had been.

What would be more torturous was the fact that he was now walking home for the sake of a man who he really didn't want to see. If he could, he would have gladly ignored the man for the rest of his life. Jughead could have looked after himself, he had done it for long periods before and he was doing so now. It just didn't look so glamorous the way that Jughead did it, but it worked for him and that was good enough.

As the teen outcast got to the entrance of Sunny Side Trailer Park, he once more realised the reason why he had left the condemned park. It was hell on Earth, a place where the owners of the land had left many years ago and the biker gang that was the South Side Serpents had entered and just taken over the place. His father resided in the pit of hell and now Jughead was to return to try and give the man he used to know a second chance to be that figure in his life.

"Holy shit, is that FP's kid?"

"Jesus, that's Jughead! He's come back?"

"Somebody get the boys out here, Jughead's come back to the park!"

Jughead remembered that the people just had to look to his own father like he did, like they were children and he was the single father raising them all. Too bad that FP considered them his kids more than he did for Jughead. It hurt, but it made Jughead tougher than he needed to be. He focused on himself, and he was just there for his friends when he needed to be. When it came down to it, Jughead was fine by himself, but it was a courtesy to at least try and help his father from slipping further into hell than he deserved to be.

He soon reached the familiar trailer that he used to call home, a drab coat of white paint that was threatening to peel off at any moment. Two motorcycles were still situated outside, one of them his father's and the other meant for him. It made Jughead sick, that his father had even expected him to join the gang without a second doubt. He didn't want the motorcycle, what he did want was his family back together and not broken and torn apart.

He took a deep breath before he entered the trailer, refusing to acknowledge those who had already done so to him. The trailer was a mess, cans and bottles littering the floor and furniture. The television was facing the wall for some ungodly reason, as if the screen couldn't even bare to look at what had happened to the Jones family either. Jughead could relate to the television more than he wished to, but looking at the state of the trailer, he was more than happy to call the school cupboard a home for a few more weeks. Even a month if it came down to it. He didn't want to pressure Archie and Mister Andrews into having to take him in and look after another mouth.

No, he'd rather stay in that cupboard. At least it was warm and small. Jughead was nothing if not a utilitarian.

Looking towards the kitchen, it was just in as much of a wretched state as the living area was. Table was littered with papers and wrappers and empty food boxes. Dirty plates stacked in the sink, festering and mixing in their own filth. Bottles littered the top of the unit and the fridge was barren. Yeah, his father wasn't in the recovery mood alright.

"So, the prodigal son returns." A voice muttered from the nearby corridor. FP Jones was a shadow, merging with the darkness where the bedrooms remained closed. The man sighed. "How you doing? You look… good."

"I'm hanging on."

"Yeah?" The gang leader replied. "You sure about that?"

"Look, let's just cut the crap out of this. I came to ask if you'd consider going back to working for Mister Andrews. Archie and me talked him into considering giving you another chance. You gonna take it or not." 

"Watch your mouth, boy. Remember who you're talking to." The criminal grumbled. "And yeah, I got a call before." He scoffed. "I said no, because he fired me Jughead. What kind of man would I be, how would I look if I went back, hat in hand?"

"I man with a job for a start." Jughead spat. His father had an odd compulsion to loath himself in every situation. Of course he wouldn't expect or take any help offered. He'd want to get out of it himself if he could but Jughead wanted to help him, he really did. "If you can appreciate the honesty, you'd look like a man who was trying to get his family back together."

FP Jones looked as if he had came fresh out of another war, a war with the bottles that were scattered and thrown about throughout the trailer. Jughead was old enough to know what his father had done before he became a construction worker. He was a soldier, a corporal in the US Army during the conflict in Afghanistan. He still wore the dog tags around his neck, like they were his only method of showing the pride and respect he held instead of actually looking the part.

He was letting himself go, slowly but surely. His hair, slick and black like Jughead's was growing out and the beard was becoming unshaven and unkempt. Whatever he did now, Jughead knew that nine times out of ten that it probably wasn't legal and that was why he didn't care. He didn't want any part of what his dad did now. The group of people who he led, that bike outside of the trailer? They could rot and rust for all he cared.

"Talk to your mom. She was the one who left, the one who took your sister."

"Look, can you just please go and see Mister Andrews? He's willing to give you a second chance." Jughead admitted, as if he were holding the opportunity in his own hands. "Dad, do this for me, for us."

"Oh, he's willing? He's willing, huh? How damn generous of him, after all the shit he pulled with me and getting me fired!" The biker almost seemed to turn into a dragon, raising himself up to spurn the chance the construction boss was offering the man.

"Dad, don't you want to see our family back together?" Jughead questioned, looking at his father who had decidedly remained silent. "I could come back home, it's not too late."

FP didn't say much after that, opting to sit at the table with an empty beer bottle in his hand in some semi-catatonic state. Jughead couldn't take it any more, and when it was clear that his father wouldn't utter another word, he slammed the door on his father once more.

At least he had tried.

 **X-X-X**

 **Sorry for the time gap between posts. For me, mock examinations are coming up and I need to focus on that. As well as that, Riverdale is just turning out to be such an uninspiring muse with how badly written the series is turning out to be. It's being filmed as they go, and it annoys me to the point where even I have trouble writing what I see as an off-shoot of the show. Having established characters almost die, or be killed off-screen only to be used in another season to say 'oh they aren't really dead' makes me want to commit to just stop writing.**

 **Oh well, what can you do?**

 **\- Based Anfield**


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Lost in the Fire**

What had happened since Cheryl had found out about Polly's escape, and soon enough the entire town occurred in a massive rush of activity. This girl was the one good lead on the investigation of Jason Blossom's death, and she could well have been the murderer. What most people didn't know was that Polly had been hidden away in the Sisters of Quiet Mercy facility well before Jason was killed later in the month. That information hadn't been given out freely, and instead the rumour mill had been abuzz. Polly had killed her boyfriend, for reasons unknown to anyone and her reputation was soon stripped and smeared in the mud.

It was not so much of a surprise when Eddie had to think about it, because of course the Blossoms and anyone in the media would try and spin it to make something sound sensational. It was not what people made it out to be, but what did they care?

Not that they cared anyway. Nobody liked the truth, especially if it was harsh and that was one of the few things in life Eddie had managed to always realise when it came down to it. It was probably the one consistent thing he had ever encountered in life.

He supposed that was what he should have expected when he was raised by someone like Julian Lodge. The two knew each other on some sort of level, where it was just possible to be on the same exact frequency.

It was during Jughead's spiel of how Polly could have escaped. In Eddie's mind, she could have gone anyway to escape. Left, right, forward, backward or any kind of mix of directions. However, when he had listened, he really did catch on to what he had said.

"Okay, the Sisters of Quiet Mercy are due north. The getaway car was west, on the Old Route 40. The closest bus station is east, headed towards Sweetwater. If Polly wanted to leave Riverdale without anyone seeing her, she probably would've left through here, Evergreen Forest." Jughead announced. "We should search this immediate areas and each of those directions, so we'll circle around here and then split off to see if we can find anything."

Betty was leading the search party, with her parents rounding up the group at the back. At the front, Betty had remained with Jughead and Archie whilst Eddie had made a dubious decision to hang in the middle with Veronica. She had seemed more concerned with how she was feeling when it came to her relationship with her mother. Now, Eddie had not ever been close with some members of his family but Aunt Hermione had been the closest thing to a mother that Eddie had ever known. She had cared for him like no other woman ever had done, and that meant a lot to him. He never proclaimed to know her better than anyone, because he had no doubt that Veronica knew her better than he did.

However, when Veronica had ultimately revealed her mother's action, it had been more than surprising to Eddie when he was told. It had been more of a shock than he had expected ever to experience. "Mom kissed Fred Andrews."

"What?"

"Yes, exactly my reaction when I seen them." Veronica replied. "I was delivering some flowers, to congratulate my mom on getting the job with Mister Andrews and I saw them kissing in the main construction office. I can't believe she'd even betray my dad like that. He loves her, he's never cheated on her but as soon as he is gone then she runs off. I don't get it."

"Maybe you weren't meant to get it." Eddie spoke. "Sometimes people do things that we aren't ever going to understand."

"That is not an excuse for an affair, while my dad is in prison!" Veronica shouted, almost getting a glare from Josie and Reggie. "It's not right."

"You can complain about right and wrong all you want. Aunt Hermione's private life is her private life, but this is affecting my dad in this as well. I'll have to tell..."

"No, you cannot tell Uncle Julian." Veronica stopped her 'cousin' dead in his tracks. "If you do, he'll tell daddy and then this will become even worse than it already is. I won't let you do that. I'm sorry, Eddie. I just won't."

The trees had glowered over them, as the group had continued to scour the forest. Veronica had soon gone off in the direction with Reggie and Josie, whilst Archie and Jughead had gone off to see where else Polly could have ran to. It was at the point where Betty, Eddie, Alice and Hal were traipsing through the forest that they wished one of them had a sniffer dog. At least then they would have had an experienced tracker leading them to whatever or wherever they were going. Eddie didn't want to think about the worst case scenario, that was finding Polly dead in some kind of ditch. He didn't want to or need to see that, and consoling Betty then and there was probably going to be a nightmare. Whatever the situation was, so far it looked absolutely awful for the Coopers and their search party.

Betty and Eddie were at the front, Betty's parents behind them as Betty and Eddie linked their arms together as they searched together. Eddie had promised to help her in whatever she needed, and she had done the same for him. He was her boyfriend, and that needed to mean something. He had to step up now. _Think, say something nice, Edward. It's not hard…_

"We will find her, Betty. I know we will. It's only a matter of time now." Eddie whispered to her, as Betty's head slowly slanted to the left to connect with Eddie's. "Everything is going to be fine."

That was at least the sound of barking had began to erupt from them in the forest. There wasn't any decent game in the forest, not as the winter was beginning to set in. The Coopers definitely didn't have any sniffer or tracking dogs, they would have arrived before they went into the forest. One loud series barks transcended to two and then soon to three and four. A cacophony of barking began to grow louder and louder until those who were unseen had finally revealed themselves to the Coopers.

The bloodhounds had stopped right in front of the Cooper family just as they came to a small grassy clearing. Still barking at the party, Eddie put himself in between the hounds in case they did anything drastic. He didn't like to hurt animals, but he would fend them off to protect the Coopers. "Back! Back off! Bad dog! Back!" Eddie shouted, commanding the dogs by stepping forward and stomping his foot to get them to take a few small steps back.

It was when a party of men and women, dressed in expensive hunting jackets and hats had made themselves known, had revealed themselves did the Coopers know who the dogs belonged to. The trademark fiery red hair was visible on the youngest of the women. Cheryl Blossom, stood in between her mother and father before their group had slowly rounded off the other end of the clearing. Behind Clifford Blossom, the staple of authority that was Sheriff Keller in full uniform. Eddie noted that Cheryl was still wearing that gold and red spider brooch on her jacket, just above her breast. She had never taken it off, not since Jason had gone missing and subsequently died. It was Penelope Blossom who had forged ahead as soon as she had seen Alice, unafraid of Riverdale's own female journalist.

"Where is she? Where is Polly?" The Blossom matriarch interrogated, getting even closer than was needed. "Where is she, Alice?"

"You think if I knew that, I would be out here with the mosquitoes?" Alice spat back, before she took two steps forward to get in Penelope's face.

It was Cheryl who had shot the next verbal round. "Face the facts, Mommy dearest. Polly killed Jason, and everyone knows it."

"Hey, that's not true!" Betty spat, only to be held back by Eddie. Cheryl smirked as Eddie wrapped his hand around her waist.

"Polly escaped from the facility once, what's to say she hasn't done it before? Like the day Jason was murdered?" Clifford insinuated, staying well away from the two women burning holes in each other.

Eddie growled. "That doesn't prove anything and you know it. If Polly had broken out before, we would have known and we would have found her before you would have even heard the radio." The Lodge heir fired back, earning a terrifying glare from Penelope.

"Edward, how could you even consider helping these people after all we did for you?" Penelope questioned, a faint look of disappointment in her eyes. "Jason found you, we took care of you when you needed someone."

"And I am doing this for Jason, because Jason would never have wanted Polly to get hurt by either you or anyone else." Edward replied, his grip on Betty's waist tightening. "This is about Polly. Not your feud."

That look of disappointment in Penelope Blossom's eyes soon faded, replaced with a look of fire and brimstone when she set her sights on the younger man. Clifford's eyes were as cold as ice, like that of wolf waiting for a time to strike. Clifford Blossom was an opportunist, in every manner and way. Eddie had barely spoke to him beforehand, but now he was thankful for it. His hands looked rugged and calloused, as if he did his own dirty work whenever the time came. Penelope moved slowly towards Edward, her leather-clad hands taking hold of Eddie's rather cutting face.

"I am disappointed, Edward. After all we had done for you." Penelope said, but Eddie couldn't keep his eyes off Cheryl. She had said nothing since her parents had began, but he had to wonder why. Did she agree with them? Maybe he was wasted potential after all. "How… wasteful. The noose is tightening around Polly Cooper's neck, her murdering neck. I know it, and Sheriff Keller knows it..."

"Hold on now..." Keller began, only to be interrupted again.

"We are going to find her, and we will find her, Alice. The entire town will know about what your daughter did."

 **X-X-X**

The search had proven to be fruitless, with not even a hint of anything to try and go off to find where Polly could possibly be. In cases like that, Eddie always thought there would be a trail to follow, but not even the dogs could find any trace of her. The trek through the massive forest was quite evidently pointless. So as the groups returned to the entrance of the forest path, Alice had dragged her own search party into the nearby church building. Alice had soon made a few calls to a television channel and the radio stations nearby for a press release. As unlikely as it had seemed before, Polly Cooper and her disappearance had soon become quite the story.

Exactly the opposite of what it needed to be. At least in Eddie's head, the quicker they found her the better. The altar had been prepared for a reading, although it wouldn't be one from the good book itself. No, it would be a carefully prepared speech by Alice Cooper herself. Why she had decided to call the press release, Eddie didn't know but he was not going to challenge her on it.

She already hated him enough as it is.

Betty had sat down next to her mother, Eddie on her left as Alice had began to prepare her make-up once more since she had woken up. "Mom, are you sure this is a good idea?" Betty asked as she sat. "I thought we were trying to contain this?"

"Well, we were Elizabeth. Now that the cat is out of the bag, we are in a full damage-control mode. The Blossoms have their own version of the events, but nobody knows the full story yet. Which is why we are going to ambush them with their weakness. The truth." Alice responded flawlessly. "That gives us a momentary advantage so we can find Polly whilst they are dealing with that."

"Bit over-dramatic, even for me..."

"Be quiet, you. You can say that you're doing this for Polly all you want, but I won't believe it until I see it." Alice growled. "I don't trust you."

"Mom!" Betty shouted. "Both of you, stop tearing at each other's throats. We have bigger things to worry about right now."

The trio had been sat in the church for twenty minutes, the occasional ticking of the half-functioning clock being the only sound alongside some slowed breathing. The constant clicking of cameras outside the church had been small at first, barely audible before turning into a growing constant clicking that had turned from a small collection a massive wave of snaps and closing shutters. The Coopers had originally wanted their secret kept to themselves and those who had found out independently, but now they had done a full one-hundred-and-eighty degree turn to telling anyone and everyone that would listen to them. _How the tables have turned…_

"Betty, you will be standing right next to me and your father when we finally go out there. We are going to make a united front. It's even better we are at a church. Defeating the Blossom demons at the holiest of backdrops." Alice chortled, finally finishing her make-up.

"Jesus Christ..." Eddie muttered, not even trying to look at Alice.

The Cooper matriarch had not even deigned to dignify the boy with a response, lifting her daughter from her seat with Eddie soon following behind them. Exiting the church, Eddie soon left the podium whilst Alice and Betty joined Hal in front of the church. Eddie could see the crowd of Blossoms, Cheryl glaring daggers at the Cooper trio amidst the cameras and journalists as they took notes and recorded the speech. Sheriff Keller's hat just about covered his eyes from view, and it was probably for the best. Keller had not been of much help since Jason had been killed and when Polly had went missing. Instead, he had showed up with the Blossoms whilst the Coopers had apparently asked for his assistance.

It was enough for Eddie to question where his loyalties really lied. Was it with the Sheriff's Department he swore to serve or where a nice fat pay check would come from? Eddie meandered through the crowd and to the back of them as Alice began to speak.

"There has been a swirl of rumours, concerning our daughter Polly. Our family are standing here to tell you all today that these rumours are false. It is true, that Polly was seeking treatment at a private health care facility. However, she was under strict surveillance at the time of Jason's disappearance and his untimely death. Indeed, when she found out about the murder, Polly was set upon by the grief. This is because my daughter is pregnant with Jason Blossom's child. Polly, if you are watching, please, please come home to us."

 **X-X-X**

It was during the search for Polly Cooper that FP Jones had sucked up his pride and went over to the Andrews Construction site for the SoDale project. He could have swore that he had seen the disappointment in his son's eyes when he said he wasn't going to go back to Fred to beg. No, he would not beg like a dog for his job back. He was not a mutt, but he needed the money and honestly? He wanted his son back home, he was all he had left.

So, when he saw the sign that said 'Andrews Construction' and not 'Andrews & Jones Construction' it was more of a punch in the gut than he had actually expected it to be. His left hand clenched into the fist that it had been accustomed to turning to, trying to calm himself when he looked at the blue font. FP didn't know what defeat or a loss was, but he was pretty sure that what he was looking at was pretty close to it.

"God fucking damn it..." FP whispered to himself, before swallowed the breath caught in his throat. "Here we go again."

As he walked through the site, he could see the workers weren't working as hard as they could have been. That was why he was the foreman, he kept them working and not jacking themselves off over the broken concrete. They were not tired, it was one in the afternoon and FP swore he would have cracked one of them right in the nose if he saw them like they were right now. _Goddamn lazy pieces of shit, and I ain't no better…_

The main building was a lot bigger than it used to be now, something more substantial than what they used to have when it was Andrews & Jones. Fred ran his business good, knew his books were always kept up to date and clean. FP was always a physical man than a book man, and that was just one more difference between him and his son. He wasn't gifted with smarts, but he was gifted with some common sense and a good dosing of brawn to go alongside. His boy had the smarts, and the last he could remember Jellybean was like that too. They more like their mother, and that was probably his wife's saving grace. She was smart enough to know the shit she was getting into, even if she didn't like to show it. As he walked up to the mobile, some of the builders had began to look at who had entered the site but a stern glare from their former foreman had sent them packing back to work.

 _As if they get to stare like I'm a fucking tourist attraction…_

As he had entered the mobile, he soon saw the wrinkled and bearded form of his former friend and boss. Fred Andrews had seemingly hit the same hard spot FP had hit, just a little earlier. Mary had left for Chicago, and left him with Archie in Riverdale. Why Gladys had to go and take Jellybean, FP didn't know but in a way he was grateful. At least his little girl didn't have to see what a messed up waste of space he was when they were gone. FP slowly approached Fred, closing the door behind him.

"This is definitely an improvement on the tin can we used to work in." FP mused as he finally reached Fred's desk, soon silencing himself.

Fred stared for a moment, and FP noticed the silver glint of his dog-tags. "I wasn't sure you were going to take my offer up when you heard about it, not after what I heard from Archie and Jug."

FP sighed. "I wasn't sure if it was real or not, I didn't think you'd want me back to work for you."

Fred gave a small grimace, probably because the two men knew that it was hard for them to trust each other, even if they had shed blood on foreign soil for the other. "I'm not going to lie, it was not my idea." Fred admitted to the more-muscular of the two. "It was the boys that came up with it."

"I know, Jughead told me about getting a job again instead of drinking the days away." FP mumbled, not proud of the addiction he had gained. "I might as well be honest, Fred. I ain't well, I'm surprised my liver works and coming back here ain't easy for me."

"I'm sorry, man." Fred spoke, relaxing somewhat with FP suddenly offloading a lot of his stress from his shoulders. "I should have offered you the job before this."

FP seemed to stare at Fred for what seemed like an eternity for both of the men in the mobile building. Once upon a time, they had been inseparable. When they were their children's age, they were unbreakable and the best of friends. If one got a detention, the other would soon follow to get back with them. That closeness had followed them to Iraq, but had been firmly destroyed after they returned home, broken and different before they had left.

"I just want my son to look at me again like I'm his dad, and not just some stranger. To look at me and not think I'm just a piece of shit that only lets him down. I don't want that no more. This is my last shot for that, and we all know it." FP begrudgingly admitted. "I need this, Fred."

"Then let's make it work." Fred agreed, arms opening to allow his former battle-buddy into a tight hug.

"Thank you."

 **X-X-X**

It was when Eddie had gotten home that he received the text from Betty. All in block capital letters:

' **I FOUND POLLY XXX'**

Since then, she had not said much. Eddie could understand to an extent, she was too obsessed with making sure that her sister was fine and healthy. He did not have the details, but he was sure he would get them soon enough in the next few days. Now, what was really bothering him was what Veronica had told him in the forest about her mother. Aunt Hermione was never one to break her word, but kissing another man, specifically Mister Andrews did not seem like her at all.

And the fact that it was possibly going to sabotage Lodge Industries, as well as Andrews Construction was the main issue. The Lodges had almost lost everything when Hiram was sent to a jail. It didn't matter whether the jail was a white-collar or a super-max. Hiram was gone for only God knew, and if Hermione was sabotaging them, his father and Mister Andrews needed to leave the SoDale project until there was proof that they could continue with.

It was as he entered his home once more that he heard the coffee machine screaming, a familiar sound that he heard every morning and every afternoon consistently. Dropping the satchel at the foot of the stairs, he entered the kitchen to see his father with two men dressed in full military gear. Black of colour, and armed to the teeth. Julian Lodge was deep in conversation with them, at least until his son had entered the building to see them.

"You weren't kidding." Eddie muttered, looking at the soldiers. "Holy shit, you weren't kidding."

Julian had turned to his son, and the two new men stood to attention. "Edward, this is Lopez and Carson. These two guys will be part of a security detail for the house until the murder case is dealt with, especially if it goes as deep as I think it does."

"Okay." Eddie managed to speak. "Carson, Lopez, I need to talk to my father for a moment."

The two men left in silence before Eddie looked to his father.

"Aunt Hermione is cheating on Hiram."

 **X-X-X**

 **Like I said when I last updated, the show is killing me from the inside. I am literally so close to wanting to just stop writing. Season 3 started so well and now it's gone down the drain just like Season 2 and sometimes I think maybe even worse than that. I honestly hope the show either gets cancelled or gets a new showrunner.**

 **The Tired Tyrant, Mister X**


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Get It Done**

"I still can't believe you were hiding in your attic."

"Well, like I said there was nowhere else to go. It doesn't help when even your parents are trying to look for you like the Blossoms are."

In the late nights. Pop's Chock'litte Shoppe was the one place that could have been considered a safe haven for anybody who walked inside. The night hid those who wanted to be unseen, and Pop would keep them fed and watered throughout the night until they needed to leave when the moon left to allow the sun to shine again. However, even those who everyone was looking for got the occasional glare when inside the aforementioned 'safe' haven.

Polly Cooper had been given some new clothes, one that didn't make her look like an escaped Catholic school girl and more like a normal teenager. A black hoodie and black jeans that at least attempted to hide her burgeoning pregnancy. Her belly was swelling even more, and sooner or later she was going to give birth. Eddie felt sorry for the child, boy or girl, whenever they managed to find a decent home to stay and live in.

"I can't stay here, not if everyone is looking for me and nobody would take me in." Polly stated. "I have to leave Riverdale, I'm sorry Betty." 

"Polly, everyone is worried sick and you can stay. I just need some time to find a place for you, we will find somewhere." Betty vowed. "I know we can, but you just need to give us some time. What if you hurt yourself looking for somewhere to stay? It'd kill me." 

"I'm sorry, Betty. I don't have any money, even if you did find somewhere for me."

Polly and Betty entered their awkward silence, joining Eddie as he chewed on the straw of his empty milkshake glass. He had entered a secondary role, he knew he wasn't important in the grand scale of things when it came to Betty and her family, as well as the rivalry with the Blossoms. He might have been a bit biased on both sides, considering he was in love with Betty at that moment as well as his history alongside Cheryl and Jason (at least before he died) at Thorn Hill.

"Are you sure you can't just stay in the house, and just tell your mom and dad?" Eddie asked. "They have to let you stay, it is not like they can kick you out when you're pregnant or anything." 

"They would want me to get rid of the baby, as soon as it was born. My dad can't stand the Blossoms, and even if the baby is innocent in all of this he cannot see past his hatred. He's always been like that, he just hates them unconditionally." Polly replied, as Pop soon brought them some fries to munch on as they discussed their plan. Pop nodded at the three, asserting his silence on the matter before he went back to the kitchen. "They have made their plans very clear for my baby, and they will not decide their life for me."

Eddie looked down at the table, suddenly finding it rather interesting as he listened to Polly state her intentions. He could understand why she refused to move back inside her own home. If Hal Cooper was hiding such an intense hatred for the Blossoms, even an unborn child of his daughter that had done nought wrong. Eddie never actually thought that Alice would be so cold-hearted to her eldest daughter after such a horrific ordeal in losing her one time already. Eddie already knew that Alice Cooper was a bit crazy, but to push her child away after losing her was even more insane than Eddie actually thought she was. She was as bad as her husband.

"I mean, it is their grandchild." Eddie muttered to nobody in particular as he looked at the table. "They do tend to want to have some say."

"Eddie!" Betty whispered angrily.

"What? They would want to be involved in what's happening with the child." Eddie grumbled. "Just because they want to get rid of the kid, no offence Polly, doesn't mean they get to have a say."

"I am not giving up my child, Edward." Polly growled, defensively as she tried to put more space in between her and her young sister's boyfriend.

Eddie sighed as he took a handful of fries in his hand, picking one out each time he felt the need to eat one before he looked at the two blonde sisters. "Look, I never said you should give the kid up, but it would be much more effective if we actually talked to your parents if we wanted to discuss this like adults."

Eddie kept his head down, dismayed at his own words effectively being twisted against him. He didn't wish for any child to be separated from their parents, that wasn't what he was trying to say. He was against Polly and Betty's parents trying to rip the child from it's mother because it was as personal to him as it would have been to Polly. Of course, Polly didn't exactly know the proper details of everything that had happened to Eddie since his birth and he didn't expect her to. In reality, he never expected anyone to care other than those it actually affected. As weird as it may have been, Eddie could see a possibility of the child being like him in an exact way.

Given away.

Abandoned.

Left for Dead.

"Look, Polly." Betty began. "Eddie isn't saying we should give it up. He's saying that we should talk to Mom and Dad about trying to get them to change their minds. Maybe we can change their minds. Everyone knows you're pregnant now. There isn't a stigma to it like there used to be. You can stay here."

Polly sighed, before she finished her strawberry milkshake. "We don't know what the Blossoms might do. And I will not have my baby raised in a home that doesn't want it there." She grumbled, before standing and putting her hood up.

As she stood up to leave, Betty grabbed her hand before she left. "Please, Polly, I cannot lose you again."

 **X-X-X**

"What if I let her live with me?"

"No, I cannot let you do that, Eddie."

"Betty, please, I haven't done anything for you that can prove how much I care about you."

Betty laughed, a small giggle before she sighed and turned to her boyfriend. She placed a hand on his cheek as they stopped in the middle of an empty school corridor. "I cannot ask you to do this, because you have already done so much for me in helping me find Polly. Letting you let Polly stay with you is just too much to ask of you. I won't let you over do it."

The next day had started off like many others. Betty got herself ready for school, washing her face and her hair before she applied all of the make-up to make herself look as perfect as her mother needed her to be. At the start of the year, she complied to her mother's every wish and command. She was the perfect girl that Polly refused to be, when Polly refused to do what her mother asked them to do. With her father, she could perhaps get a little leeway, but the more and more she pushed the more she found that her parents were hiding something from her.

That was not fair.

It was not fair that her mother and father could keep so many secrets from her that their entire life might as well have been a lie, but whenever Betty or Polly kept a secret from their parents then they were like bloodhounds on a hunt for prey. Sniffing around, looking for anything to confirm their suspicions placed on their daughters. Their doors were locked, but whenever the kids got home they would find their doors unlocked or their drawers rearranged in a way that was different to how they were arranged that morning.

Of course, a lot of the time it was completely coincidental and it often made the situation a lot worse than it already looked. The time when her mother discovered Grundy's revolver in her drawer when she was with Eddie, getting ready to see the final show at the Twilight Drive-In. She immediately assumed that it was Eddie just because of his second name, even if Eddie did take the blame to keep Betty out of the trouble.

Eddie's hands slid down to Betty's hips. Their heads slowly moving together as she gave a wry little smile. "If anything, I should be thanking you for everything you've done so far for me."

"A simple kiss would..."

Eddie never actually caught the glint in his girlfriend's eyes until she had stopped kissing him. Edward's hands remained fixed to her hips, as Betty's own hands began to wander about before they wrapped around Eddie's neck to bring him even closer to her. The young couple were entwined in each other, not knowing the inner conflict the other was going through. Eddie wanted to do more for her, knowing what she was going through whilst Betty couldn't decide which part of her loved Eddie more. The wholesome and innocent part of her that only wanted to do good, or the part of her that had began to bubble up inside of her whenever she wasn't Betty Cooper.

It was _that_ part of her. She wanted to name it her dark version of herself, yet there was nothing noticeably dark about. Indeed, she might have gone a little overboard with what she did to Chuck Clayton but it was necessary for her to get the message across. She thought of it as an outlet, a way to unleash all of the pent up anger and stress she constantly took in as she lived in the Cooper household. Her dark counterpart took the concept of perfection and threw it out of the window.

 _Perfection was pathetic, perfection was a poor performance of poor and pitiable nature. Being imperfect was what life was all about, being impulsive gives me the best rush of blood one could feel…_

As soon as the blonde bombshell pulled away from her black-haired beau, it was the exact moment that both of them knew they had been catching the other off their guard. He had been caught off by seeing someone else in his girlfriend's body, and she had been caught by him seeing her and all her dark desires. The boy in front of her was everything she could have ever asked for, for both Betty Cooper and her demented double.

Eddie looked deep into the deep green of her eyes. "I'm not talking to Betty right now, am I?" He spoke, a hushed whisper as his hands continued to stay taut around her hips.

Betty's dark passenger smirked as her hands remained wrapped around her man's neck. "Sometimes Betty doesn't know how to appreciate some gifts like I do. Should I show you?"

Eddie's hands fell to his sides before returning to the pockets of his leather jacket, and then he rapidly buried them in the pockets of his black jeans. "As tempting as the offer sounds, I'm with Betty. Not her friendly neighbourhood alter ego."

"Shame… perhaps another time..."

Before Eddie could reply to anything her girlfriend's second personality could say, the clicking and clacking of heels soon interrupted them. Eddie looked over to Betty, noticing that the odd glint in her eyes was still present. She gave him a sly smile, with a raised, perfected eyebrow that signalled the remaining presence of the alter-ego. Of course, the smirking and red-clad figure of Cheryl Blossom had found them and glared at them to follow her before they entered an empty class room.

Even Cheryl's emerald green eyes seemed to saw right through the tension of the two students in front of her. Why she wanted to see them would soon be revealed when she began to speak to them. Her arms were folded in front of her chest. "As much as I adore the concept of young love, even disgusting puppy love, I do love to break it up when something better and much more important comes my way." 

Eddie turned away from the red-headed vixen, as Betty sighed aloud. "What do you want, Cheryl?"

Cheryl showed off her sickly sweet smile. "What we both want, Elizabeth, for the baby to be safe."

Betty returned Cheryl's faux-smile when she seen it. She quickly pulled out the tightened ponytail before she spoke. Eddie knew that when the real Betty came back to the real world that she would probably be pissed off when she realised she had 'let her hair down' in the most literal of ways. "You can't help Polly or me, because neither of us trust you, Cheryl." 

"Of course you don't." Cheryl whispered in a hush. "You never would do, you never do anyway." 

Eddie grumbled aloud. "You did hunt her sister down with a pack of bloodhounds, hunting dogs, Cheryl."

"Shhhhh, you ape." Cheryl growled to the young man. "Okay, so don't trust me. Watch over me like a hawk and tell me the barest minimum of what I need to know. I just want to help."

"You think Polly is crazy, why would you want to help her?" Betty questioned.

"Yeah, I think Polly is crazier than a serial killer on bath salts, and she's carrying my brother's baby. Jason trumps any kind of rivalry I have with you, or Veronica or your group of weirdo outcasts that are looking for whoever killed him. You can have cash, medicine, a place to stay whatever you need for Polly to be safe, I can ask my parents..." 

"No, Cheryl!"

"What, why?"

"Because I don't want your parents hunting her throughout the entire town. For now, the only people who know where she is are me and Eddie. That's it and it will change when I deem it to be necessary to change." Betty stated, intently with a look in her eye that solidified her input.

Cheryl growled. "That baby, my little niece or nephew is a trump card. We are all on the same team now." She spoke, before she left the room.

 **X-X-X**

Polly and Edward had sat in Pop's for the last two hours, discussing everything that was needed as soon as she had made herself at home in the wooded lodge. Pre-natal and post-natal supplies were being written down on a checklist by the younger male as Polly railed off each thing she would need before and after the baby was born. Even if Betty didn't know, it was for the best as she would be out of the hands of both her own parents, as well as the grasping and clutching hands of the Blossoms.

Pop had laid down two plates and a basket full of sweet potato fries between the two of them. Even if Polly was meant to be the oldest one of the two children in the booth, she was still too young to handle a child at her age. She may well have been seventeen, and she may well have been very well adjusted to the awful life she was forced to endure under the rule of her parents and the temporary care of the Sisters of Quiet Mercy.

She may well have been brave, but she inside she was scared of what might happen. That little farm in Hope County, Montana where her and Jason could have lived happily and raised their kids away from the cruel, cold and calculating clutches of their parents. The two of them had never thought that they would ever be in that position, worrying about their child but it had happened and they had to plan for the inevitable.

They had to get it done, to be gone before she gave birth to their child. As much as it scared her, she knew she would love and adore that little boy or girl for as long as she possibly could. Because Polly Eleanor Cooper refused in any way to be like her mother and father. She would not be as intrusive and uncaring as her mother, and she would definitely not be as hateful and vindictive as the father that she despised so much.

She refused to be like that.

"You really don't have to do this, you know?" Polly began, her finger knocking the outstanding fries back into the basket. "It's not your responsibility to look after me, it's my own fault and I can get myself out."

"You said you'd do anything to keep that child with you, to never have to give it away for adoption. Right?" Eddie asked, to which Polly gave a curt nod before beginning to pick at the fries. "Then I am going to help you do that, because it might not be acceptable to you but I don't want that child to end up like me." 

"End up like you?" Polly asked. "What do you mean? Put into a rich family with nothing to worry about?" 

Eddie could feel himself just about beginning to burn up at the comment. _Keep calm, Eddie. She's pregnant, they say stuff they don't mean._

"No, I mean I don't want him to have to be left at the doorstep of some mansion and hope that whoever owns the place lets them in and keeps them. Polly, I will be honest with you because I need you to understand. What happened to me was horrible, and since then I have done nothing to even try and find out whoever the hell my actual parents were. I haven't told anyone about how Julian Lodge found me because just 'being adopted' was what they assumed. It has it's own stigma to it, but it wouldn't match if people found out 'oh he was abandoned at birth and left to die in the cold'. I don't want your child to go through that. I want him to stay with you, to maybe have another father figure if you find it and have that stable background if you do stay with us. You won't have to worry for anything." 

Polly showed a soft smile, one that was true and a sincere smile from the eldest Cooper child. "I'm sorry, Eddie. I never knew."

"Nobody ever does, and that is for the better." Eddie muttered as he went over the checklist and began to type numbers into the calculator. "Please, do eat. I wouldn't want you to starve before we get to Ravencroft." 

"Ravencroft?"

"Your new home, with me and my adoptive dad." Eddie reassured her, before he took a sip of his cola. "We have everything you need, money, rooms, resources. We even have a security detail ever since..."

"Jason was found." Polly finished. "Betty told me about him. I don't know how to feel. I have grieved now, I grieved when I escaped but now I need to keep going. For my child."

"I admire you, to be frank."

"You… admire me?" Polly asked, as if she were aghast. "Why?"

"You're strong, you're dedicated to getting what you want and how much you need it. It's admirable, to do what you're doing." Eddie stated before he placed his pen and paper down and slid it away as the amateur fighter began to tuck into his food.

"Does Betty know?" Polly asked, as she followed Eddie's lead and began to delight in the diner's food that she had yet to enjoy after three months.

"I am going to pick her up as soon as we are done here, I made sure that she told that your parents that we were going on a 'date' tonight and then we'll be going back to my place where we can all agree on what's happening. It's better this way, you don't need to run away to be safe and we don't have to worry about anyone unsavoury trying to find you."

Eddie held his hand out towards the young, expecting mother. A delicate smile and a trusting look, and Polly placed her hand in his. A symbol of cooperation, and hard-won trust.

 **X-X-X**

 _Hope._

 _A word so close to home, and as tricky._

 _As much as we wanted Jason's killer caught, and the town, our home, to feel safe again, with every day that passed, our hopes dimmed more and more._

 _There's that old, cliched saying, all is darkest before the dawn. But sometimes, there's just darkness._

 **X-X-X**

 **This is the result of a brute-force attempt to get into another pattern of writing. I will be busy this coming week with coursework for my college but I will try and get another chapter out this week.**

 **Don't need to say anything about the musical episode, everything I have said in my previous chapter applies here.**

 **Poor.**

 **-The Tyrant, Mister X**


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: My Apologies**

Jughead Jones had awoken rather abruptly after school that Friday afternoon. Trying to even contemplate doing the history homework made him vulnerable to the fatigue he had been holding at bay since he'd began to investigate everything about the Blossom murder. Whatever he found, it was always hidden underneath something akin to a pile of rusty nails that were still as sharp as they were in their prime. Digging for a secret was harmful, to everyone but also himself. It's like he was giving a part of himself in order to discover the truth, but the more he was digging, the more he realised that the attempts to find out whatever happened was more than worth it.

Even if it did come at the expense of his health, but he made an attempt to keep his head on his shoulders and his brain active when it needed to be. That meant having a decent rest after school before he started digging again had become the new norm for him. He was just thankful that his father had began to kick his old habits, especially after they had been arrested when there was an unfortunate incident where his father was still holding alcohol in his system when he wasn't even remotely drunk. Sheriff Keller had taken that as his opportunity, to interrogate Jughead on the investigation of Jason Blossom, for whatever reason that Jughead was even a suspect in the case.

He was in the diner with Pop Tate, with an alibi as solid as the Israel-Palestine border wall.

 _Two counts of arson my ass, the kids shouldn't have been such assholes to me and I wouldn't have burnt down their school. Probably did them a favour, anyway…_

Just listening to Keller try to connect his past crimes when he was younger (and much less intelligent than he was now) made him cringe in sadness. He knew what he was trying to do, what the Blossoms had asked the damned Sheriff to do. Press any suspect possible, find anyone who even remotely could have possibly killed their son and stick it to them so hard it was like a javelin being thrown into the ground at full force. Of course, Jughead was one of the perfect people to try and press a crime on.

He was a loner, he was an outcast. God, he was the only kid from the South Side of Riverdale who even attended Riverdale High School and not the shitty attempt at a remake that was South Side High School. It was not much of a stretch to assume that Jughead Jones had been bullied from a young age. Even when he was at South Side Elementary he stuck out like a sore thumb and he knew it sooner than his parents had done. Things had not changed much when he moved through Middle School all the way to High School.

It just got worse as time went on, but Jughead was nothing if not a fight. The bruises he often received from a drunk FP would show, and the cut knuckled from fights showed that he wouldn't just cower when threatened. One of Jughead's crowning achievements was cracking Sweet Pea around his right eye when they were younger, when Sweet Pea was more of an ass. He couldn't open his eye for a week after that.

Rubbing his eyes, and he looked at the clock just in the trailer's kitchen. It was six in the afternoon, and he knew his father would be working with Mister Andrews and Archie to discuss what they would actually be doing with the SoDale project. Jughead still didn't appreciate it's building, for he still mourned the loss of the drive-in theatre, and he would for many months until he had decided to stop being a stubborn idiot about it.

The plain white plastic table that was the 'dinner table' held every little piece of evidence and link to the murder as possible. An entire map of Riverdale and the South Side, marked with sites where suspects could have planned the murder, where they might have been during the time of murder and the places of known suspects when the murder occurred. He had crossed Dilton Doiley and Geraldine Grundy off the list of suspects, since one was a kid and the other was preying upon his childhood friend at the time. From what else was extracted, he had to make up for the time difference for when Jason Blossom went missing and his approximate time of death a week later.

Blossom was missing for a week, so somebody had to have hidden him away from the public for that length of time before dumping in the river after the Sheriff Department trawled the river for the body so they could do it without a worry when suspicion had disappeared much like Jason's very body until Kevin decided to trip up on it.

Jughead never killed him, because he didn't have the stomach to kill but mainly because he had a pellet gun, and he couldn't hit the broadside of a fucking barn with it, even if he were trying.

The trailer had gotten colder, and that was amplified with winter finally coming in to hit the small little town. The snows were light at first, but soon they would come in hard and heavy, without remorse some would say. Jughead did have a nice collection of large fur and denim jackets that would nullify the cold, unless it were his hands that were exposed. They'd be as red as the blood moon as soon as he left the relatively little warmth that the trailer provided.

His feet slapped against the cold floor as Jughead wandered over to the thermostat, turning it up so he could actually feel the warmth (the little warmth there was) in the trailer. He could feel it in the follicles of his hair, how the winter would always hit the town and hit him the worst. He hated it, but the eternal question of his life was if he hated summer more. One felt like it was going to kill him if he went outside, the other made him feel naked since he couldn't wear the clothing that would hide his thinness and how taut he was.

It was safe to say that Jughead hated both the heat and the cold.

What he hated more was the fact that his father had lied to him. He turned around to work some more on the case, until he caught the unique colour scheme of blue and gold. A letterman varsity jacket, and whilst Jughead knew his father had played football in his youth before he joined the South Side Serpents, he knew his shirt number was definitely not nine.

Taking the jacket off the hook of the wall, he looked at the number stitched to the left arm of the jacket which had the exact same number of which Jason Blossom had before he died. Something loose fell from the jacket, and soon Jughead picked up what looked like a USB stick from the floor.

"What the hell..."

 **X-X-X-X-X**

Edward Lodge had often times been a rather stubborn young man, but it had never been said that he forgot where he came from when the topic arose.

He frequently refused to mention those who actually created him, who had sexual intercourse in order to have him as a child when they had no right to do so or to even consider such an act in their godforsaken circumstances. They were stupid, too stupid to really consider the consequences of their actions and who it would affect. Well, it had affected him more than he cared to admit, but the one thing he was thankful for was where they left him.

Even if they left him in the dead of winter, with the heavy snows falling and the cold winds blowing harsh that year.

Edward didn't have a second name, it was a privilege that his 'parents' (for lack of a better term) had forgotten to bestow unto him. When he had been taken in by Julian Lodge, he had taken his second name when the opportunity arose, mainly since he was being adopted by the man but to also show his thanks. The man had rose him from a babe to his current age, a man who had a good chance of becoming an athlete if not a stage actor. If it were not for Julian Lodge, Edward may have died outside in the cold like he were nobody's business.

It was that one fact that stopped him from ever looking for those who had created him, for looking for them when he had the chance. He refused, he did not want to sully his mind with any knowledge of them other than them being deadbeats with idiotic tendencies. Even the note they left was written with faux-concern, something that Edward did not need or want from anyone else in this life (or the next, if there was one) but he kept that letter. In the bottom of his desk, preserved in a plastic sheet so that if he ever needed something that kept his love for his adoptive father alive, it would be to look at that letter and remember that his real parents never gave a shit about him.

Yet he also knew, that the Gothic horror show that was Thorn Hill had also been a place where he had run to, when he was of an age where he was too stupid to realise how much his real father had done for him.

He still knew the codes for the gates to the mansion, tapping in the four-digit code before parking in the front drive right behind Cheryl's cherry red 1961 Chevrolet Impala. Edward adored the mechanics, as well as the amount of money it must have cost to renovate it. His father never trusted him with any car that wasn't his own, the Ford Focus RS that was Edward's workhorse that got him from place to place in no time. It was not one of his father's supercars or hypercars, but it had always done the job. Yet that day was not a day to be unique or infantile about showing who he was, but about honouring the family that helped him out of a dark place.

It was also the day his father decided to trust him with another car that was not his own.

The black Land Rover Velar dwarfed the cherry red classic, and soon Edward took a deep breath before he got out of the car and exposed himself to the cold. The winter had landed in Riverdale and once more it would be more brutal than he had been expecting. Edward wasn't expecting anything less, the town always replayed itself every year. A harsh winter, lukewarm spring, killer summer and a plain autumn. The appearance of the manor served to give him chills in his veins, his blood running cold as he approached the door. Unlike Jason's funeral, the doors were not held open and Jason's parents were not there to greet the guests. No, this time the guests would be the executives of the Blossom Maple Company, and they were circling the family like vultures.

Watching.

Waiting.

Knocking on the door, he had to wait for a minute until the door opened up to where he saw the heiress of the Blossom family receiving him. Dressed entirely in black and red, her gold and red spider brooch adorning her chest, Cheryl looked upon him like he were some kind of insect. Edward could see her contemplate closing the door on him, because she took more than a minute to consider what to say whilst she took the appearance of him in.

He had bothered enough to make himself look presentable, which was more than she could say for his appearance when he was at school. The two were two sides of the same kind, except one side of the coin was grimy and slovenly whilst the other was shined to perfection. Cheryl revelled in the care she took for herself, Edward looked as if he put in the bare minimum of effort but yet somehow he looked delightfully irresistible. When the Lodge heir decided to put some effort into looking like a business heir might do, he really looked the part and that 'irresistible' trait soon turned him into a tantalising handsome man who had captivated and enchanted her when she laid her eyes on him.

And God, did he look tempting. Cheryl couldn't resist biting her bottom lip, which Edward didn't fail to miss.

"By that, I'm going to assume I clean up well?" Edward asked, standing in the cold. "Are you going to let me in, or have your parents imposed a Lodge ban on Thorn Hill because of my betrayal?"

Cheryl stopped biting, turning stone-faced for a moment. "Why are you making yourself known here, Lodge? I think you know my parents don't want anyone intruding right now, if you couldn't tell."

"I'm here to say sorry, about what happened when we were looking for Polly. I shouldn't have been impertinent, for all they have done for me. It was me being childish, and I think if all of the fancy limos means what I think they do, seeing somebody beg for forgiveness is what they need. "

Cheryl took the sight of Edward all in, refraining from showing herself up. One foot crossed over the other, the tip of her black and red boots, furiously digging into the wooden flooring. Her arms crossed each other, Cheryl biting into her finger as she thought about letting him. He wasn't wrong about what his parents needed, they needed to look powerful in front of the board and his act of begging for forgiveness would help them and her by extension. There he was, the adopted son of a recluse, dressed in a Brioni Vanquish suit with a red buttoned shirt and black tie, black Saint Laurent overcoat with Brogue shoes with red lacing. He had dressed knowing what he had come to do.

"You dress well for someone who looks like they barely put effort in." Cheryl muttered as she allowed the boy inside the manor. "Very exquisite taste, if I have to say myself."

Edward smiled, one of those that melted the ice around Cheryl's cold heart. "That's actually the one thing you said to me that I took seriously. Dress to impress."

"Seems you don't take it to heart when we're at school, though." Cheryl spoke as they walked through the halls of Thorn Hill into the winter salon where the executives were waiting, speaking to Penelope and Clifford until they set their eyes on their daughter and her close friend as they walked in.

 _I don't know what scares me more, the fact that Penelope looks like she's going to crucify me or that everyone in here bar myself has maple red hair…_

Penelope and Clifford had almost prowled over towards Edward as soon as they had caught sight of him, ready to shove their fangs in his neck and drain him of his life essence but that moment never came. Cheryl soon left to join her parents as she took to their side as they soon reached the young man they had once took in. Their eyes were as cold as the snow was outside, and it chilled Edward to the bone.

Penelope looked at the young man she had once considered a son from top to bottom, looking at the colours he was adorned in. "Did you think you could just walk in hear, cloaked in red and black and be welcome?" She asked, a venom fresh on the tongue.

Edward sighed. "No, Mrs. Blossom. I didn't. I came to ask for forgiveness. I ask you to forgive me for how I acted in the forest a few weeks ago, it was rude of me to do so. I hope that you and Mr. Blossom can forgive me for how I acted."

Penelope had remained fixed on Edward as he stood in front of the Blossoms, all of them watching with affixed interest to see what would happen. They all knew that the former heir had taken in another child, something of a kind gesture in order to help him out which had endeared them and made them worried for their business. They needed somebody who would not get attached and would focus on business first, and not some personal pet project. As far as they could tell, the young man in front of them was there for the daughter and that was all. He held no sway over the company, or the parents of the 'heiress' as they wished.

Penelope had remained stone-cold, and whilst she soon turned away to contemplate what the young man had asked of them it was Clifford who had stepped up to deal with the whipper-snapper who had once rebelled against them. His eyes were as cold as Penelope's, but only slightly more understanding. He held more forgiveness than his wife had done, even if it were not much.

"We will talk of what you did later on, at the company banquet. You are permitted to stay for the tree-tapped, if only Cheryl's sake."

Edward nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Mr. Lodge."

Clifford grunted, before he turned to the rest of the Blossom executives and began to lead them outside. The cold weather soon hit them as the winds began to flow around them as they headed to the maple orchard that was situated just outside of the Blossom garden. Edward and Cheryl formed the back of the line, herding the executives of the Blossom Maple Company into the orchard as the two teens conversed as they walked.

"I don't suppose it's a hard guess as to who these people are." Edward whispered, feet crunching snow underfoot. "The convoy outside the manor kind of gives it away. Sharks in the water, smelling blood?"

Cheryl nodded, looking at the taller teen. "You still have a head on your shoulders, Edward. Despite you seeming determined to get it punched off by Chuck Clayton, you realise how ape-like you seem at school?"

"It's there when I need it, or when I know somebody else needs some company in a nest of vipers." Edward shot back, a small smile on his face as he hid his hands in his overcoat. "Besides, it's just a few bruises."

"I am the mongoose in the analogy, whilst every other red-haired personage here are the vipers I imagine." Cheryl muttered under her breath, linking her arms with Edward when he offered it to her.

Edward chuckled lightly. "Looks like you still have your head on straight. You've always been smarter than most of the girls at school."

"Other than your dear blonde detective, Elizabeth? You and her spend a lot of time together but a lot of time apart, sometimes I think she spends more time with the hobo-"

"You mean Jug? The two work together on the newspaper, that's all they do. You're trying to spin it into something bigger." Edward admitted. "Besides, I know she's with him and she knows I'm here with you."

Cheryl's eyebrows rose, allowing Edward an unfiltered gaze into her chocolate brown eyes. "Does she really?"

"Suggesting I'm a liar, that's very unbecoming of you, Cheryl."

As soon as they had reached the maple orchard with everyone else, the two teenagers could hear Clifford beginning his speech in front of the entire board of executives for the Blossom Maple Company. He spoke loudly, and full of pride. "Nearly a hundred years, Grandfather Blossom came to this sacred maple grove. The annual tapping ceremony portends each season's bounty. Now, I have performed this ceremony many a time. As did my son Jason, when he came of age. In his place, I put forth my daughter, Cheryl."

Reluctantly, Cheryl stepped forward and took the small mallet from her father. Edward followed when the Blossom patriarch offered him the bucket that would hold the first sample of the new maple season. A small metal tube was in Cheryl's hand. Taking a knee, Edward held the bucket before he looked up to the red-headed vixen. He could see the nerves, the anxiety visible in her eyes as she struggled to hold the tap to the tree. Slowly but surely, Edward placed the bucket down gently and wrapped his hand around hers, steadying her hand before he whispered into her ear.

"You can do this, show this maple tree what you've got."

With one quick swat of the mallet, the tap was lodged into the tree and the maple dew spewed out and into the bucket that Edward quickly hung over the tap. There was a cacophony of claps as the crowd cheered at Cheryl after her 'rite of passage'. The two teens shared a quick glance as they soon took a close hug in front of the board, smiling as Edward heard a large breath escape from Cheryl as she finally reclaimed her cool.

 **X-X-X-X-X**

 **Don't even have to say a word, but I have had an epiphany about how I can finish the story and not lose interest.**

 **Also, I've totally lost interest in the show with how bad it is. Filming it as they write it out is one of the most phenomenally stupid things a studio can do, but it's the CW so it's basically expected at this point.**

 **Hail, The Tyrant Mister X**


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18 – I Will Give You All I Have, If Only For A Night**

The snow had decided to fall particularly hard that winter, if only for the reasoning that there had not been a really heavy or disruptive winter in Riverdale for over five years and so there was no other reason to delay the inevitable. It just so happened that whilst Edward was a lot more suited to the colder weather, it didn't mean he liked it a lot. No, heavy snows and winds were about as easy to hate as much as the sweltering summers that gave him the occasional heatstroke. Now, it gave him the sniffles and the harsh flu that the winter always ended up inflicting on him.

The curse of endurance and durability, he could take punches and kicks like it was no tomorrow but when it was his immune system that was being attacked, Edward was an utter shambles.

The bucket had soon been filled to the brim with maple dew, the sign of the maple season beginning once more and the annual revenue streams being enlarged for the Blossom Maple Company. Edward had made his presence known by apologising right in front of their board of executives and whilst they didn't look exactly happy to see him, Edward could see that Clifford seemed to appreciate it a lot more due to it improving his face amongst those who would take the business from him. Penelope however, seemed to hold his actions when they were looking for the missing Polly against him, even more than when she had first seen him helping the Coopers.

Somehow, Cheryl had allowed him into the manor and that was the best gift he could ask for. He had been blessed enough to witness the event that noted the beginning of the maple season once before, and he had came more to support Cheryl than to help the actual family in it's entirety.

"Do you think they will be gone soon?" Edward asked, wrapping his hand around Cheryl's in an attempt to warm both of their hands as he placed them in his pockets.

Cheryl sighed heavily. "I have no idea. They only came around this year because of what happened to Jay-Jay, like the damned vultures that they are. I don't think they want me to hold the business when Daddy give it up. They all knew Jason was the original heir. I don't want it, but I have no choice."

Edward tightened his grip ever so slightly. "I mean, if you don't want it and the board have no possible alternative, I definitely wouldn't mind running a multi-million dollar company. I need the money."

Cheryl hid her snorting laughter. "You? Need more money than you already have? You don't think I hear about how lavish you and your dad live? Why do you need more money?" She laughed, breath visible in the air.

The two teenagers remained at the back of the queue as the executives travelled back through the maple orchard back to the Gothic manor house. They all had the similar hair colourings as Cheryl, Jason and their parents. The bright red hair, usually a signal of popularity and danger to those who got in it's way was now a mass of red contrasting with the driven snow. The trees were somehow blooming amidst the wind, branches and leaves swaying heavily in the wind as the colony of redheads and the singular raven-haired male made their way back to the mansion. Edward chuckled to himself as soon as Cheryl had asked for his reasoning on needing more money.

"Oh, I just like to feel greenbacks in my hand. It makes me feel happy, and money makes the world go around. I was thinking that maybe during the Christmas break, we should have an overnight trip to New York, go shopping or catch a Broadway show. Just..." Edward sighed as he found the words. "Just to get out of this damn town, I think it's killing me inside."

"Can't agree with you more, ape. It sucks the life out of me, I just want to get out of this place. I hate it. I hate Thorn Hill, I hate school, I hate Riverdale." Cheryl admitted, her hands finding a place deep in the pockets of Edward's overcoat. "I don't think I could get far enough away from here, even if it was across the ocean." 

"Why do you keep calling me an ape? I know I'm large but is my nose that big?"

"No," Cheryl muttered, "it's just that you grow your hair out so much that you look more like a gorilla than a normal man. I don't know who's bigger, you or Clayton."

"Clayton, definitely. He's always been bigger than me, so no surprise there."

The two teens further linked their arms to preserve their warmth in the cold. In the harsh winds of winter, it brushed against both Edward and Cheryl, forcing their skin to pale as the blood rushed to warm their bodies as they remained outside. Edward couldn't help but stare, as her hair whipped in the wind, the red flashing against the white as they trudged through the blankets of snow. Cheryl Blossom was indeed a bombshell. She was a gun that Edward could not help but point at himself and play dangerously with the trigger whilst the aforementioned gun was pointed in his own face. He was a lovesick fool, and the two teens knew it.

 _You are empowered and strong and you have a beautiful soul underneath the mean girl attitude. I would kiss away every scar and bruise for you, I love you and I'm terrified because of it…_ Edward thought to himself. _Why do I have to be so easily led astray by you. Why does it have to be you, why has it always have to be you? Josie, and then you. Tomoko, then you. Betty, and now you. Why?_

Edward had been crushing on the red-headed bombshell since they were in elementary, yet he had not managed to mutter a word to her (or her brother) until they were in middle school where Edward had finally managed to use the finer aspects of human conversation with other people outside of his designated friend group. He was practically forced to when he was vacating Ravencroft Lodge and his father, in favour of the Blossoms and Thorn Hill Manor. Now, the two were always bordering on the thin line of being close friends, flirting and almost-but-not boyfriend and girlfriend.

He thought he wanted Betty. He thought he wanted the perfect girl next door with the heart of gold and pink perfection. Now, his mind was turning on him once more and begging him to take the red-headed vixen that commanded authority and fear throughout Riverdale High School and make him hers. He would have done it then and there in the orchard if Edward wasn't so conflicted about what he wanted to do.

How hard did it have to be to stay with one girl, and not leave her for another? It was a question for Eddie that had yet to be answered, and it didn't seem closer to being answered any time soon.

Edward withdrew his hand from his pocket, and took a step closer to the red-headed girl he was pining after. Her hand remained stuffed in the pocket of his overcoat while his arm wrapped around the small of her back. The wind began to pick up again and soon Edward was shielding the Blossom heiress with his ape-like body, his black overcoat blowing wildly in the wind as the two finally approached the gate into the labyrinthine back garden. Instead of following the rest of the retinue, the two teenagers steered off to the nearby graveyard where all of the Blossom family members were laid to rest. The pair took a walk amongst the tombstones, cracking and crumbling stone falling into snow, never to be seen again. The wear and tear hid the identities of the men and women buried, all but one of them at least. The elegantly-carved stone had only weathered in the slightest, the name carved in still legible to where Edward stood with Cheryl in front of her brother's tombstone.

"I come here, every day." Cheryl admitted. "I speak to him, about anything. Like he's just sitting next to me. I don't think I'll ever get over losing him." 

Edward sighed heavily. "I think you'd be doing Jason a disservice if you didn't move on in life. There's too much out there for you." He planted two fingers against his lips and gently tapped the picture of Jason.

"That's easy for you to say, Eddie. You didn't lose a brother." Cheryl growled. "How would you even know how to deal with something like this?!"

That was a real question, something else that Edward wanted to kick himself for not knowing the answer. Grieving took an undetermined amount of time to process, and for someone like Cheryl who was so close to her late brother, only God knew how long it would take her to process the loss effectively. She stood in their silence, looking upon the gravestone of her brother. "You can leave, it's okay." Cheryl murmured.

"Cheryl, I'm not gonna leave you on your own. It's not fair on you or me."

The girl turned to the boy who had remained, who stood affixed in place as she took a moment with her dead brother. Murdered before his time, taken away from an unfair world and hopefully taken to a better place. A place that deserved him more than they did. Edward could not relate to her, but he would stay with Cheryl and support her for as long as she needed. She was vulnerable, it was clear to see when she was putting on the popular mask of the bitching vixen at school. It was moments like these where Edward saw the real Cheryl, the one she hid from everyone in an attempt to appear powerful. She was powerful.

Taking the overcoat off and exposing his actual suit to the elements, Edward laid the thick black overcoat over Cheryl's shoulders as they remained outside. The snow had stopped falling and the winds had soon calmed, and soon Cheryl had regained her composure and turned to Edward. "I'm serious. I'm a tough girl, I can handle myself. I can get through a banquet with these hacks just fine."

Edward pulled Cheryl into a soft hug, warm and affectionate. "Please, I've made a hobby out of proving you wrong. Besides, you're the only one I would break my rule about banquets for. I'll stay, for you."

 **X-X-X-X-X**

Jughead had been sceptical at first, looking at the USB stick that had fallen out of the varsity jacket. Yet, that same jacket was a piece of evidence that had been hidden in his own home. He could have swore that it should have been burnt when the car was found outside the older maple farms the Blossom family used to use. It was found, and then the car had been seen burnt down in the next morning. The jacket simply should not have existed.

So why had his father deigned to hide the haunted jacket in their home?

 _He knows something about Jason._ His head reminded him, his head keeping him on track with the investigation that the actual Sheriffs had seemed to hit a roadblock on. _He done something with Jason, what if he's part of this?_

Taking the jacket, he hid it under the blanket on his bed and closed the door before he went back into the kitchen. It was a mess, but to Jughead it looked like an organised mess. He could find everything he needed when he needed to, but that wasn't what he was thinking of when he looked at the USB stick when he pulled it out of his pocket. The feeling of dread, a black hole that malingered in his stomach made him wonder what exactly he was holding in his hands. He might not have been a technological genius, but he knew how many documents and how many videos and photographs one stick could hold. It felt eerily powerful, even when he didn't know what he had.

He took a seat and lifted the monitor for the laptop and plugged the stick into the computer. Quickly tapping away his password, he soon found the external source (that being the USB) and clicked on it to see the various videos and photographs. He could at least say that his dad kept a meticulous diary of expenses when it came to the Whyte Wyrm, and after digging through videos he soon found the video that had been matched with the date of death for Jason Blossom.

He clicked upon the video and let it play. It was the basement of the Whyte Wyrm, in clear black and white video and everything was perfectly visible. The scruffy man with a bag over his head was crying, loudly sobbing whilst Jughead could see his father and one of his men observing as the boy blubbered and whined. He might as well have been begging, and Jughead continued watching the almost-snuff tape. He had almost turned the video off, unable to watch the video until another men entered the basement. An expensive grey suit, the old colour filtering refused to show any other colour but even the facial structure could not be hidden by the camera.

It was Clifford Blossom.

The Blossom patriarch ripped the bag from off the boy's head, muttering a few swears before revealing that the boy was his own son, Jason. The boy's hands were tied, as were his feet, and Clifford seemed to rip something off his son's fingers. Jughead hadn't realised how loud the volume on his laptop was until Clifford had pulled a revolver out of his waistband, and the gunshot reverberated through Jughead's ears, so loud that it scared the teen enough to slam the screen back down into the keyboard.

 _Clifford Blossom killed Jason. He, he, he must have paid my dad to get him, and then he killed him. Oh shit oh shit oh shit, what do I do, what do I do, what do I do?_

Jughead rushed to get himself appropriately dressed for the weather, he needed to tell, everyone. He pulled on the first shirt and jeans he found, paint coating the fabrics and material since he had been painting his own custom motorbike which his father had gotten him. Since he had started working for Archie's father, it was like he had turned over a new leaf, but it was just a ruse to cover his ass for the murder of Jason. Placing the laptop in his bag and the USB in his pocket, Jughead stormed outside and ripped the tarpaulin off of the bike. FP had won a Honda CM250 Scrambler from one of his fellow bikers and had gifted it to his son as an early Christmas present.

He'd used it a few times, driving around and trying to get used to finding his balance at high speeds. Now was the one time he needed to use it properly, and he was already shaking too much from watching someone die. He'd always thought that he wouldn't have reacted so overtly, but the gunshot in the cameras and the audio of his computer had scarred him. Biking wasn't the best idea he had so soon after such an experience.

Throwing the tarpaulin back over the Scrambler, Jughead ran over to the centre of the Sunny Side Trailer Park and slammed into the door of Sweet Pea's trailer. The place was a mess, nuts and bolts with wrenches and screwdrivers littered all over the floor before Sweet Pea picked up a hatchet and thundered over, leering over Jughead with an axe. "Whoa! Whoa! Pea, it's Jughead, don't fucking kill me with your axe, man!" 

Sweet Pea held the axe tight in his hand, before placing it on the side. "Jughead? What the hell are you doing, barging into my place like that? What's wrong with you, man?"

"I need a ride, I, I, I need a ride into the North Side." Jughead managed to stutter out, trying to calm his cold shaking hands. "I need you to take me, Pea."

Sweet Pea squinted at Jughead, before wiping away the sleep from his eyes and closed the door. Kicking away the mess that was on the floor, and sweeping away stuff that was on his kitchen unit, Sweet Pea threw the axe back onto the bed before he picked up his keys. "Don't you have bike, Jug?"

"I can't ride, I'd break my laptop and my hands, I wouldn't find my balance." Jughead managed to mutter before the massive young man threw Jughead his helmet. "Look, just take me to Kennedy Street, we gotta go quick."

The two boys were quick to leave the ramshackle trailer, jogging out to get on Pea's Harley Davidson Street Glide. Finding two solid hand-holds, the younger boy held on for dear life as Pea swivelled, drifted, broke and sped down the open roads of a late afternoon in Riverdale. He wouldn't have been afraid if there wasn't so much snow, and Jughead could have swore that he almost felt the back wheel of the bike slip up on the way into the suburbs of the town. Kennedy Street, where Archie and Betty resided next to each other was where he was going and Sweet Pea never questioned it. Everyone in the trailer park knew that Jughead associated with the North Side assholes, he practically lived with them for a time.

The pair soon skidded over in front of Archie's house, with Jughead practically launching himself from the bike and into the Andrews' household. Pea had already sped off back to the park, and as soon as Jughead could even mutter the names of his two friends as he stormed up to Archie's room, the sight he found himself witness two was one that caused him to take a deep breath and turn away.

The stud-like ally he had in Archie Andrews very well might have been trying to eat Betty's face off, as soon as Jughead witnessed both of his friends kissing passionately as they had neared his bed.

"Guys," Jughead managed to state, breaking the two out of their loving stupor, "I have something you're gonna wanna see."

 **X-X-X-X-X**

There was a reason that Edward liked to stray away from upper-class events, whether that involved people who his father had done business with in their home or if it involved travelling to New York City to be forced to communicate with socialites who loved his youthful background. In New York, his Uncle Hiram loved to exploit the kindness of his brother. Always creating a twisted story of being brought up another man, without a mother and turning out to be such a respectful gentleman. It was awful, truly boring and even worse when he did not have Veronica there to accompany him in activities where slitting his own wrists like they were violin strings had become more desirable than being forced to socialise.

They were all vultures, birds of prey who awaited their carrion with mirthful, leering stares. Business executives, corporate presidents and esteemed socialites who merely had money behind their family name. These people were not Edward's people. As much as he hated to admit it, he was the wolf amongst the sheep, except the aforementioned wolf had no appetite for sheep and just wanted to sleep the rest of the day away.

The last time he had to sit in on a Blossom banquet was when Jason was alive, when Cheryl had little expectations of her and Edward could at least communicate properly with her brother when his slight anxiousness didn't wind itself up to the point where even looking at Cheryl caused him to have minor heart palpitations. He could not help but admit how beautiful Cheryl had been, ever since Edward had first laid eyes on her and even when looked at her now. Her slim-fitting figure in a cherry red dress, make-up done to perfection so she looked like the most beautiful lady in the entire room. She outdid herself, every single day.

As they sat down, the two children in the room managed to keep themselves relatively scarce when business talk came about. Cheryl had often been asked about what she was studying, vain efforts by other executives to see if she would ever be worthy of ruling her ancestral company. She was the designated heiress, but the board of directors and executives would have their word involved if they could. They wanted Jason, but now they had Cheryl instead.

That was not their choice, it would not produce the expected results for them. So they could leer over her workings and see how much money they would lose.

They made polite conversation, but Edward and Cheryl could both see that it was meaningless and just to be that, polite. They were worried about their bottom line, and that was all they were worried about. The food could not have come any sooner, and the silence that echoed throughout the room was much more comforting when exchanged for occasional clinking and clanging of silverware against fine ceramic plating.

It was when Clifford tapped one of his unused knives against his champagne glass and stood proudly before speaking:

"These past few months have been hard, for a lack of better words. My wife and I have lost our first child, our son. Our daughter has lost her only brother, we have gone through such a tragic time this year, but we have endured. And we will continue to endure this. I know that we all expected for Jason to take over the business when I set down my membership for the business, and now we obviously cannot have what we wish. Instead, I wish to approve of my daughter's wishes. Cheryl, I will continue to look after our business until you feel that you are ready to take over for me and to honour your brother. For now, we shall endure. I assure you that when we all meet at the start of the new year, we will be sure of what is to come. For now, however, we should prepare for the upcoming holidays. To a happy Christmas!"

The board raised their glasses, as did Cheryl and Edward. A toast was called and Edward downed the tumbler of fiery whiskey. It burned as it rushed down his throat, and soon Edward patted his chest as it continued down to his stomach. A small band of classical musicians began to play old songs that Edward had heard before at various upper-class galas, Cheryl had gone off to speak with her parents, and Edward had gone off to dance with the various female executives. They were older than him, and both he and them held no interest other than polite chit-chat as they swivelled and moved gracefully in time with the others. They would ask him what he did at school, somewhat similar to what they would ask Cheryl and what his aspirations were. He'd answer honestly, speaking of his AP Psychology lessons and his literature courses.

It was when he saw Cheryl storm off to her room that he left the dancefloor, taking his whiskey tumbler and filling it to the middle. Clifford held the guard at the steps to the upper rooms, and placed his hand on Edward's chest. "Edward, I would highly recommend that you stay down here. There is no need to chase after her when she's being… overly emotional."

Edward took the moment to whisper. "If I can bring her back down, you'll at least look like you control your family instead of it being a mess. Just let me see her, she needs someone to talk to."

Clifford glared a hole in Edward's forehead, before allowing him to pass. With whiskey in one hand and his jackets in the other, Edward made his way up the steps and to where Cheryl's room was located in the horror house. Edward opened the bright red door into Cheryl's room, seeing her pale skin twinkling and glittered in the pale moonlight as she stood looking out of her window. The snows had fallen harder in the night than they had done in the day, it would just be a lot harder to get home when Edward left. Throwing the two jackets on the floor, Edward sidled up to the red-headed teen and placed his glass on the window sill as the blizzard raged outside.

"You okay?"

"What did my parents say to you, what did the board say? How they think I'm a train wreck?" Cheryl muttered as Edward took his tie and threw it over to his coats. "People hate me, Edward. Jason was loved."

Edward sighed, taking a small sip from his tumbler. Slapping his lips together, he spoke this thoughts as he looked at the orange-brown liquid. "Forget them, forget what people say about, because it isn't true."

Cheryl turned to him, tear tracks glistening on her face as she turned to the boy beside her. "How can I forget what they say when these people are my family, how do I ever forget what they say? How can you say that when you have no idea what it's like to live here, to be me right now?" 

"I can't say I know what it's like to live here every day." Edward replied in truth, handing Cheryl the glass as she took a sip. "But I know that what these people say to you isn't true. You're not a train wreck..."

"That's easy for you to say..."

Edward sighed. "You're grieving for Jason, and that's allowed. I grieved, I have been where you are. I never knew my parents, I grieved because I thought they died, and then I realised they weren't worth grieving. They left me because they couldn't put in the effort. You are strong, and you are so brave with how you've been coping with everything. School, home, everything. Cheryl, you are amazing. You should be proud."

Edward took the glass from Cheryl's hands and took a final sip, the liquid draining from the glass as he set it down on the window sill. Edward let out a heavy-held breath, as he stared at the hazel-brown eyes that shone in the pale moonlight, the sole refuge in the darkness they found themselves residing in. She looked at him differently, compared to how she looked at him when he had knocked on the door in the middle of the day. She couldn't bite her lip, she couldn't hold her breath and she couldn't help but undo the top button of his shirt before running her finger over the small cut that just hovered above his right eyebrow, one reminder of how often he got into fights, how he fought with a passion, with aggression.

"God, don't start fussing over scars and scratches, I have too many." Edward whispered as he closed the gap between them. His hands wandered to Cheryl's face, his thumb running over the tear tracks to wipe them away. "We're on a fine line, Cheryl."

"I know, Eddie. I know." She replied, taking him all in with her eyes. The black hair brushed and slicked back, blue eyes glowing like sapphires. "Please, don't leave me. I don't want to be alone tonight."

"You won't be, I won't leave you here on your own. I don't have any other place to be, and I'd rather be with you now than anywhere else." Edward affirmed as he took her hand, lips brushing against her soft knuckles. "Just, don't push me away when things ever get crazy. I'm always going to be on your side. Always."

"Promise?" Cheryl asked, a pleading, begging look in her eye. She never wanted to be alone, and Edward always tried to keep with her, even if she were acting awfully. "Promise me you won't leave."

"I promise."

Edward's hands fell to Cheryl's waist, pulling her even closer to him as his head lowered and he felt her lips glance his own before they met in finality. Of course, she would have had a cherry-tasting lipstick on, it would not have been Cheryl Blossom if it were. She bit on his lower lip, pulling away a little before kissing him once again. The softness of it was gone, instead replaced with passion and vigour of someone who needed something desperately. She as desperate, she had been waiting for someone to come along and finally see her for who she was. Edward could not resist, he had loved her from when he first set his sights on her and now he had her and she had him.

"We really… really, shouldn't."

"You've been waiting for this for years, don't be all..." She gasped, as Edward's lips met the delicate, soft skin of her neck. "Morally superior."

It was when Edward had turned her around, finding the zip of her dress and pulling down that she knew she wouldn't be alone again. It was as they laid in bed, hearts beating in a frantic rhythm as the snows bashed against the window that the two knew they had finally seen each other fully.

 **X-X-X-X-X**

 **You know, I actually think I know what I'm doing now.**

 **The Writing Tyrant Mister X**


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Under Duress**

It was the early morning when Edward managed to wake up from a deep slumber, head buried in a mountain of pillows and a few strands of cherry red hair splayed over his face with a warm body wrapped in his arms just next to him. He had not expected what had happened to actually happen and there was a deep regret in his gut when he realised what he had done. For all the time he had pined after Betty, he dropped her with extreme prejudice as soon as he had the eye of another girl who he had seemed to fancy when he was much younger and much more stupid.

Now, he was a lot older but it seemed like he still had a certain degree of stupidity in his brain. That, and his tendencies to womanise just seemed to get even worse the more that time went on. It wasn't a surprise.

At least, not any more.

He felt the soles of Cheryl's feet slightly brush against his legs, a cold chill running through his bones when her cold skin slid across his own. He could see the ruinous path of fabrics, cloth and silk that lead from the furthest window where his glass tumbler sat all the way to the bed where the two teenagers resided in warmth and comfort. The light that streamed through the nearby windows almost caused Edward to recoil back into the mountain of pillows due to the brightness. There was the occasional violent howl outside, the wind throwing itself against the Gothic manor as it tried to break through the walls, although it failed in it's attempt.

Even if the wind did break through the walls of the manor, Edward doubted that the winds of winter could have penetrated the safety of the wool and cotton blanket that he had occupied alongside the redhead femme fatale, and Edward had to think that Cheryl may have been of the same mind when it came to it.

He groaned as he picked himself up, looking over the girl next to him. Cheryl had been in a state when he had arrived in her room the previous night, but she knew well enough what she wanted and her mind definitely was not impeded by aged alcohol, not like Edward had been drinking since he had arrived at the Blossom estate. After the previous night, Edward had surprised himself by waking up at all and not missing the entire day.

He supposed that might have said more about himself than he would have liked to admit, but then again it was not him that was still asleep.

Cheryl's hair was splayed all over the pillows, and soon she took advantage of Edward attempting to rise and soon reoccupied the rest of her bed. Unlike himself, Cheryl did not proceed to slam her head through the pile of pillows but instead it looked as if she were gracefully hovering over them. As Edward observed her, listening to a moan that was slightly more erotic than it had any right to be, he tasted the sweet cherry on his tongue. Of course, he could probably blame Cheryl for the fruity tang on his lips as well.

 _Why does she have to have such a tight hold on me? It's almost like a curse…_

Another sleep-made moan caused Edward to spin to look at Cheryl once again, and all he could do was marvel at how beautiful she was. The shining red hair and hazel brown eyes that melted anyone brave enough to look into them, there was a fire in her eyes. The pale skin, kissed by snow so that it was almost white as if blood didn't run through her veins, but it was ice instead. There was a reason she was considered to be an ice queen, to be the one bombshell in all of Riverdale. It was because she had the looks to charm the men, and the attitude to keep a firm and unbreakable grip on the women who thought they could take her down a notch.

Many had tried, and they had all failed. Perhaps only Veronica had tried and gotten something out of it, but even then it was not a victory that she received.

Edward began to crawl back into his space on the bed, worming and twisting and contorting around Cheryl's lithe yet toned physique so he could lie back down next to her. He placed soft, delicate kisses along her shoulders before they ran up her neck, soon caressing her cheek and moving a few wild strands behind her ear. She soon opened her eyes, slowly analysing Edward's face before her eyes closed again. Her hand moved from over his chest to under her pillow, sighing aloud before she rolled onto her back.

"Don't look so proud of yourself..." Cheryl murmured from her half-awoken state. "Not like you haven't done this before."

Edward smiled as he propped himself up, his hair rugged and messy from sleep. "Hadn't done it before with you. I think I am allowed to be proud of what happened last night."

"Shush, you're annoying me and we haven't even got out of bed yet."

Edward gave a wide grin as he took a few pillows from his side and began to place them behind himself, propping himself up and freeing his arms in the process so he could lay his arms down on Cheryl as she continued resting in the feathered pillows. The red satin sheets on the bed, merged with the blood red paint and the black wood furniture made Edward think of how truly obsessive Cheryl was when it came to family. Many did indeed mock how attached she was to Jason, especially since his death and whilst he could not understand that attachment, he could at least understand her grief of losing her twin earlier in the year.

Edward soon threw himself under the covers, arms wrapping around Cheryl's cold skin whilst he attempted to warm her up in his hold. There was a slight mumble of adulation from the redhead heiress before his lips peppered Cheryl with kisses around her neck and chest. Soon, a hand was present pushing him away whilst Cheryl gave an evil smirk as she climbed atop Edward and began to kiss him with an ardour he hadn't felt before.

Edward's hands began to wander, first his hands holding her face as they brushed their lips against the other's. Then, his hands soon wrapped around Cheryl's hands as she rode atop his waist, soon sliding down to hold her by her waist. He had a firm idea in his head of what was going to happen until Edward's phone began to ring. Cheryl had never expected a self-made rendition of 'The Wanderer' by Dion and the Belmonts to be the boy's ringtone. The two separated with loud sighs from the both of them, as Edward reached over for his phone. He stretched just enough to obtain the mobile phone before Cheryl placed her weight in making sure that Edward could not move from underneath her.

"Hello? Who's this?" Edward muttered, Cheryl's nails tapping against his toned stomach. "Yeah, I'm awake. I answered the phone didn't I, dad?"

Cheryl's tapping increased, a flirtatious smile was caught by Edward as his own hand ran up from her stomach to her neck. "What do you mean, I said I was gonna be at Thorn Hill for the day and I'd be back later. What's wrong?"

The flirtatious smile soon died, tapping fell away as Edward pulled himself as he spoke. "Yeah, I'm…. I'm with Cheryl right now."

Cheryl would have smiled if she had not heard the deafening 'WHAT!' from the other end of the phone. She supposed she would have to work on her reputation with some of the parents in town, if that was the reaction to how Julian Lodge thought of his son being with her. There was still the event that if Betty discovered what had happened, and how everything would go down if she ever did find out. Cheryl needed to plan.

She needed to plan a lot.

"Damn it, dad. I can date who I want, I will fix whatever ends up happening. Don't worry about me, Jesus Christ!" Edward exclaimed. "Wait, what? What do you mean Betty, Jug and Archie are at the house?"

Cheryl overheard a small muttering, and soon Edward almost threw her off the bed when he got up and began to gather his clothing. He was ungraceful, banging and blundering around the room like an angered bull seeing red. He placed the phone on a desk, hitting the button to turn the phone on loudspeaker as Edward pulled on his trousers and buttoned his shirt up. There was a band of voices all shouting over each other, and soon Cheryl's room had gone from being empty aside from herself and her beau, to being filled with the voices of the outcasts that were Edward's friends as well as his father.

"Look, why are you even at the house, Eddie?" Archie asked, an odd silence filling the air before Edward answered. "Eddie, you still there?"

"I had a bit of an argument with the Blossoms when we were looking for Polly. I went to apologise, and I went to support Cheryl. It was the start of the maple season, and Jason was always with her. I stayed on a couch."

Cheryl quickly picked herself up from the bed, Edward turning and giving a boyish grin as she saw the satin sheets slip away to where he could see almost every inch of pale, alabaster skin and every strand of bright red hair. She soon noticed that Edward was staring, and soon took one of the sheets to cover herself up before she sauntered over to him and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. She soon walked off into her own walk-in wardrobe and Edward was once more on his own. He turned off the phone's loudspeaker, placing it against his ear before Cheryl could walk back in with whatever dress that was coloured cherry red.

"You were saying, why call me right now? All of you, especially?"

Julian took the phone. "Jughead found a USB in his trailer and he came to find us when he watched it. He found Archie, Betty, and Veronica and went to the Police. They took FP Jones in custody for the cover-up of the murder of Jason Blossom. Look, kid. They know who murdered Jason, and they're coming for him right now. I need you to get home, I don't want you to get caught up in whatever happens today. You hear?"

Edward gulped, nodding before he spoke. "Yeah, I got you. Uh, do they know who did it?"

Jughead's monotone voice said all he needed to know to inspire him to escape. "Clifford Blossom, Jason's dad killed him."

"Dad, I'll get out as soon as I can. I don't think the Blossoms know I'm still here other than Cheryl. I'll see if I can sneak out."

"Eddie, wait-" Edward could hear Betty's concern in her voice before he turned the phone off.

It pulled at his heartstrings, knowing she was looking for him at his own home and that now he was in another girl's home, in another girl's room after spending the night in the same bed doing salacious things to her. If there was ever a massive contest for the biggest villain in the entire town that did not kill anyone, it would probably be him for all of the hearts he had broken. Now, he had broken the heart of the most innocent girl he knew. He had done the dirty, to his closest friend and soon-to-be former girlfriend. He didn't know if he could make it any worse even if he did try his hardest in order to do so.

Pulling on his suit jacket, and placing his tie in the inside pocket of the jacket, he took a look out of the window. The snows had fallen even heavier over the night, and whilst they might not have been blocking the doors to escape, it had snowed every single car that was within the estate inside the gates. If Edward was to escape, it meant he would have to run his ass out into the snow. With a murderer chasing him if he ever caught him.

 _I wonder if Clifford will kill me for either finding out he killed Jason, or just for sleeping with Cheryl…_ Edward began to surmise as he pulled his gloves and overcoat on. _Shit! I need to get out, now! How?_

Once more, he looked out to the snow. Thorn Hill Manor was desolate, even abandoned when it came to how far it was from the main town. It was at least a twenty minute run from here to the station, even if Edward made it out of the estate. If Clifford had no qualms about killing his own son for whatever reason, it meant he would have no qualms about killing Cheryl, and definitely none if he ever came to killing Edward He could not even risk provoking a fight, not unless it was one he was absolutely sure he could win. Indeed, he had fought jocks and amateur wrestlers but fighting a grown man who had killed? It was something he did not want to test himself on. He was a fighter, but he was not a stupid one.

The police were going to take their time, especially if Jughead's theory of them being paid off by the Blossom's was correct. However, they were definitely coming to get Clifford if the evidence was as definitive as it sounded. That meant there was a time limit, he just had to cling to life as much as he had clung onto an opponent in a wrestling match. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he tried to forget the troubles coming his way.

" _Sancte Michael, defende nos in proelio, ut non pereamus, in tremendo iudicio."_ Edward muttered under his breath. "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, and do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power, and the glory are forever. Amen."

Edward had never particularly been one to go to a Sunday mass religiously, he never felt as if he had a connection to God or some other divine being due to his thoughts. If he were an innocent child, why be cursed by the weakness and sin of poor parenting, why be pushed onto another man who had suffered enough? It were those questions he forgot, when he realised how now, perhaps he wished there was a god to protect him until he was safely out of harm's reach.

"Cheryl, are you awake?" Edward's eyes widened, and soon Cheryl waved him into the walk-in wardrobe as Penelope called for her daughter. Edward ran inside alongside Cheryl. "Have you seen young Edward?"

Cheryl took Edward's tie from his suit jacket. "Come in, mother! In the wardrobe!" Cheryl yelled, soon throwing the tie over Edward and tying it up as if he had never gotten undressed at all. The presence of Penelope Blossom loomed over them, as she strode into the room to see Cheryl and Edward dressed. Cheryl in something much more casual, with Edward looking slightly bedraggled as he took off his jacket.

"Morning, mother dearest. Edward came to fetch his coat, he allowed me to wear it for the night whilst he slept on the chaise just by the entry." Cheryl managed to announce, her mother raising a suspicious eyebrow. Penelope might have been emotional, but she wasn't stupid. "Is there anything wrong, mother?"

"Not at all, Cheryl. Good morning, Edward. I hope you didn't have too much of a rough sleep." Penelope spoke, nose crinkling in an almost-sneer as she looked at the young man. "Breakfast is ready, if you'd wish to… join us."

Edward looked to Cheryl, who held a somewhat genuine smile as she reached out to take his hand. "As long as you don't consider me intruding on such an offer this morning, may I join you?"

"Of course, come down when you're ready." Penelope grinned, plastering on a fake smile that showed just a little too much teeth before she left. As soon as she left, Edward allowed a stream of breath to release from his nose.

 **X-X-X**

" _Fourteen Delta, this is Big Bird, we can confirm sighting on the suspect's location. Weather is obstructing all entry for vehicles, he won't be getting away any time soon."_

" _Roger that, Big Bird. We're having a bit of trouble getting through town right now due to the snow, have you got any sight on the suspect himself?"_

" _Negative, Fourteen Delta."_

" _Five Bravo, Seven Golf, do you read me on this frequency, over?"_

" _Loud and clear, Delta. Over."_

" _Reading, Over."_

" _Consider this order allowing use of deadly force if absolutely necessary. We need to catch this guy right now, and we cannot let him get away. Shoot to injure, but do not shoot to kill."_

 **X-X-X**

The sitting down with the Blossoms could have been considered one of the most awkward moments in Edward's life. Not due to how the night previously, Cheryl and himself and done things to the other that could have been considered almost illegal by most standards but due to how the mother of Cheryl was an emotional hand grenade that could have had the pin pulled at any moment and that her father was a merciless child-killer who had murdered his own son.

Edward never considered how truly terrifying breakfast could have been, at least up until that moment where how surreal it was had truly hit him and continued to worry him as he began to eat a few slices of toast before tucking into the breakfast spread in front of him. He could at least say that the Blossoms put about as much effort into the breakfast as they did in running a business, like it was all they ever focused on to be exact.

The old grandfather clock on the wall ticked through the duration of breakfast, ominous gongs every quarter of an hour to signal the time. It was putting Edward off eating the rest, even more so when Clifford gave him the look of wanting to murder Edward with his eyes.

 _If looks could kill, hey Clifford?_

"I feel the need to apologise, Mister and Mrs. Blossom. I did not intend to stay over for the night, but only to support you for the rest of the day. I feel like fatigue might have caught up to me at the wrong time. I do truly apologise." Edward managed to speak, cutting through the silence whilst gaining the attention of Cheryl and Clifford, but not that of Penelope and Nana Rose.

"It's… nothing, Edward. Besides, we let you into our home many years ago, why wouldn't we do it again for you now?" Clifford responded, the veneer of mercy and kindness pressed upon his visage.

"I don't know, Mister Blossom. I, I appreciate what you have done for me. I always have."

"And I am grateful for the support you have shown this family, over all this time. You know, I wish I could give you our name right now. You have always been like a second son to us, somewhat rebellious but always knowing where your true loyalties lie."

"Please, Mister Lodge, you don't mean that..."

"Do not presume to tell me what I mean, Edward."

The uncomfortable silence returned, and Edward gave quite the stern shock when he turned to Cheryl. The two teens ate in silence before they had all finished at the table, and Edward could just about hear the whirling resonance of helicopter blades outside of the manor. It was now, or perhaps not at all if he left it now. Edward pushed his plate forward, sliding his knife and fork atop the plate before he looked at the Blossom patriarch.

"I heard they caught the man who killed Jason Blossom."

Penelope stopped moving entirely, as if the words were resolute and true instead of being that of a rumour. Fork and knife dropped, clattering against the plate and the table as she looked over with a glimmer of some unknown emotion in her eye as she glared at Edward and Cheryl. Clifford had continued chewing on a piece of bacon, refusing to change from becoming stoical when he had heard the words come from Edward's mouth. Cheryl had stopped eating, placing her utensils on her plate before she turned to the teenage boy next to her, a look of hope, hope for closure in finding it out who had murdered her own brother.

"Edward, who…." Cheryl managed to find the words to ask the dreaded yet needed question. "Who killed Jason?"

The repetition of the helicopter blades began to get louder, almost as if they were vibrating through the stone walls of Thorn Hill before a speaker could be heard adjusting it's frequency. The answer was finally revealed to the Blossom family.

" **Clifford Blossom! We have a warrant for your arrest! Surrender now, and come quietly!"**

There was a moment of levity once the speaker stopped, but it seemed like the heavy footsteps of the Riverdale Sheriff's Department had made their presence known as soon as the front door had been smashed through, as the officers bombed through the broken doorway. Edward could see Clifford reach for a gun in his waistband, but he grabbed a nearby plate and threw it into Clifford's chest as he took Cheryl's hand and ran.

There was a chorus of yelling, from Clifford, Penelope, from Cheryl and finally the police officers. The two teenagers ran through the kitchen, but it was not long before Clifford had began to chase them through the house. The police soon took custody of Penelope and Nana Rose, yet two officers entered hot pursuit of Clifford as he chased his daughter and her new lover. As they tore through the manor and into the winter salon, both Edward and Cheryl fled into the snowing, frosty estate of the Blossom gardens. The two teenagers were soon made victim to the freezing furore of the Riverdale winter as they bolted past the graveyard that held Jason's body as well as many other Blossom ancestors. They were soon chased not just by Clifford Blossom, but by the hostile gunshots who barely whizzed past Cheryl's hip and into the waist-deep snow, flaring it up into the air as the blizzards of snow intensified as they ran.

A series of more gunshots followed, almost catching the two teens as they continued to stride through the snow and into the maple orchards. Edward made sure that Cheryl was always in front, and if gunshots ever echoed from behind he was always behind her if they ever got too close. He could hear panting and crying, sniffing and puffing as they dug through the snow to escape the homicidal maniac behind them. More gunshots smacked through the trees, different sounds compared to Clifford's own gun before shots were followed by Clifford firing the last few shots before reloading his gun and aiming once more at the teens running from him.

He was genuinely trying to kill them. A bullet whizzed by Edward's head, and whilst he was lucky enough to not be dead, it did not matter as he felt something enter his shoulder and soon rip through the flesh. He screamed, cried as he fell into the snow. He tripped over his own feet, gritting his teeth as he tried to use his right arm to pick himself up, only to scream and fall back into the snow. Splatters of red blood oozed into the pure snow, crimson liquid mixing into the white powder before Edward got onto his knees.

Cheryl turned to him, face red with exhaustion and exposure to the frosts and snow, face wet with tears from crying. Edward could only find it in himself to scream at her. "Run! Just fucking run, Cheryl! Keep going!"

He turned to see the black-suited Clifford running towards him, gun raised before Edward surged with adrenaline and tried to run once more. He grunted and growled, and the more Edward looked at his own wounds and the trail of blood, the queasier he began to feel as he felt himself get further away from Cheryl and closer to Clifford. The old man fired more shots, missing more and more before Edward somehow managed to reach Cheryl once more.

They had reached the very centre of the orchard, the largest tree towering over all others as red leaves sheltering them from the snow but left them without mercy to the cold. Cheryl backed up until she could not move any further, her back against the tree. Edward was haunched in front of her, blood dripping from his wound as he stood in front of her to defend her from her father and his cold brutality.

The murderer himself had soon reappeared, his gun once more reloaded as he stalked towards the two teenagers. Cheryl's crying had increased tenfold, sniffling and snivelling louder and louder as her father continued on his murderous march. Why he had killed Jason, she could not bare to know the answer but she knew that her brother did not deserve such a fate. She did not want to share it, she did not want Edward to share it either.

Yet, that choice was taken away from her. Edward stood up with youthful vigour before three more bullets were fired. One such bullet hit the tree behind her, but the other two hit their target dead on.

Edward keeled over in the snow, blood dripping from his two new bullet wounds. Dropping to his knees, Cheryl dropped to as he fell back onto her lap under the tree.

The man she had considered her father, had cut down the boy who she had found herself loving more than anything in such a short amount of time.

"Daddy, please, don't do this!" Cheryl bawled, tears falling from her eyes as they impacted with the snow as well as Edward's bloodied body. The bullets entered his lung and leg, incapacitating and slowly bleeding him out.

"You..." Clifford murmured before he reloaded the gun once more, before bellowing. "You ruined everything!"

"Please, Daddy!" Pleaded Cheryl, she was on her knees cradling the boy who had saved her thrice, she was crying her eyes out. "Daddy, please you don't have to do this!"

Cheryl began to blubber and beg, looking into the cold dead eyes of her father as he cocked the pistol in his hand and aimed it at her. She could feel the shallow breathing of Edward, he was struggling but somehow he had yet to let go of life just yet. She held onto his blood-covered hand, refusing to let go as much as he refused to let go of her.

"Clifford Blossom, you are under arrest!"

Cheryl shot up, looking to the trio of policemen who stormed through the orchard to save herself and Edward. She could see her damnable father raise his pistol towards his head, only for Sheriff Keller to fire two shots into the shoulder and leg of Clifford Blossom. Of course, her father would take the coward's way out instead of facing his own actions. Cheryl refused to look at her father a moment longer, she vowed it to herself as she held a dying Edward in her arms. The two deputies quickly took action, beginning to stem the bleeding as Sheriff Keller called for backup and the helicopter to land near the open orchard.

Cheryl could feel Edward's hand slipping away, but she refused to let go at all of her beau. Her grip tightened when his grew slack, her hold stiffened whilst his strenuous hold on life, like a weak rope, began to snap.

 **X-X-X**

 **Can't exactly state my feelings on Riverdale Season 3, I just outright refuse to watch the show at this rate. I can't describe my anger at how well the premise started off with a cult, but now just resurrected dead characters for no reason other than to just fill plotholes. Pathetic writing from a pathetic team, and it really has destroyed my love for the show that I once had.**

 **Not blaming anyone but the writers and showrunners here. Either way, I'll try and finish this in the coming days, I have got exam finals however but I will see what I can do to finish.**

 **-Skrumpf-**


	21. Epilogue

_**The Epilogue**_

Edward Lodge was a fighter, there was no doubt about that.

Everyone had seen it beforehand, when he wrestled or when he got into fights with Clayton or Reggie.

But Cheryl knew that Edward knew when to pick his fights, and when Edward had thrown the plate at her father in an attempt to escape the estate was the same time she realised she needed to run away too. She knew that her mother and grandmother had managed to survive the murderous encounter with her own father. She still could barely understand what had happened that entire morning, it had still not fully impacted her.

Her own father, had murdered his first son. Her own brother, murdered in cold blood for a reason still unknown to her. She had always thought family was worth more than any amount of money, but clearly she was wrong.

That thought had died when she watched her father stalking towards her, gun in hand. When she was cradling a dying Edward in the orchard, warm blood in the snow, coating her hands.

That was a true hell.

What had confounded her even more was how hard Edward was fighting, how he had taken three gunshots that had critically impacted his own body in an attempt to shield her from harm. Perhaps, maybe before the past few days' events, she would have doubted his convictions and principles when it came to being friendly with others in school. Hell, she still doubted his own feelings towards her. Over years, everyone could have seen how much he hounded after Betty Cooper, as a friend and as a lover. He was like a lost puppy, and then there was the issue of him being the ultimate womaniser like many of the jocks inside the school. He got around, he was like a bloody disease and it scared her.

For a few weeks, he had been utterly devoted to Betty when they came back from the summer break.

Now, he had dropped her in order to 'support the Blossom family' which was total bullshit. Cheryl Blossom was not stupid, she had a 4.0 grade-point-average. She also wasn't blind or deaf to what people said or did, to her or otherwise. She knew, from the people in her clique that Edward had always taken a shine to her fine self, she had seen it in his eyes when he had first laid eyes on her in their junior year.

They just had more of a friendly rivalry thing before now.

There was a fine line between having a friendly rivalry, compared to having a totally different relationship which had already been consummated in secret.

She hated herself, she hated how she had let herself become so taken in by such a boy. Now? She had placed her heart in this admittedly-handsome wean, and he was dangerous and it scared her more than she care to admit.

So she was sat in the hospital, waiting outside the private room that had already been sectioned off for use for Edward when he came out of the surgery. She didn't know what to do, other than pace around in an attempt to find some measure of control over herself, over her own life. That was something she always valued in her life, the amount of self-control she had over herself, or how she always had a calm place in the storm when she had Jason. Now, ever since that fateful day where she had lost the one person who she knew truly cared for her, she had no safe place. She was in a raging ocean, and she had no dock to go to.

It was killing her inside, how she could only rely on herself; only blame herself for any future mistakes. She needed to be responsible, she needed to become the adult that her parents never taught her how to be. If anything they taught her how to be a businesswoman amongst anything else. She was sixteen for Christ's sake! What the hell was she meant to do in a situation like this, how was she meant to keep herself in check?

"Damn you..." Cheryl muttered to nobody in particular, other than herself. "Damn you, Dad. You…. Asshole."

There was a mild humming from the lights, a slight thrumming coming from above that had started to vibrate inside her own head. The drab greys and whites that flooded her eyes with cleanliness and hygiene, it was a contrast to her own home, the darkness of the mahogany wood furniture that was littered throughout the manor, the black and red walls that had scores of expensive paintings hanged upon the walls. At any other time, she would have rather been brooding at Thorn Hill than inside some godforsaken hospital performing insincere well-wishing. Yet, since she had lost Jason she had finally knew what it was like to be mortal.

She was helpless, and it hurt.

 **X-X-X**

She was helpless, and it hurt.

As soon as Jughead had hitched a ride all the way into the North Side of Riverdale and told them about what he had found in his father's trailer. She had watched the video, she had seen what horror she had never expected but had always had an inkling of what to expect. It never seemed like a regular gangland killing, if Riverdale could have even been considered 'gangland'. They had the Serpents and the Ghoulies on the South Side, but it was always just pot and grease-monkeying.

She wasn't stupid, but she definitely was not crazy enough to experiment with what they were. The closest she had ever gotten towards that kind of stuff was with Jughead and Edward, both of them being related to somebody who was actively involved in a gang or who had been arrested for a crime that required an immense amount of manpower and coordination. A smuggling ring, that just screamed 'organised crime' to her.

Now, she was about to lose the one boy who had always been by her side.

She could remember the day when he had arrived at their school, back when all of the boys and the girls were all too afraid of each other to even go near each other. There was always the joke that Betty could never have been real, she was always too kind. It sort of worried her, that as kids they were always too suspicious of her because that she was just too kind, _too normal._ Perhaps they were right, maybe she was indeed compensating for some issues that she was still facing.

There was that side of her, the side of her that scared her more than anything else. It brought out traits that she deep down, she knew she liked, deep down she might very well have been an exhibitionist. Hopefully she would either grow out of it, or perhaps just come to live with it. Edward, he had always been the one young man who always seen her as Betty and not some trophy to be won by the other boys. In spite of that, she had fallen for him because he wanted her and she wanted him, and grappled with each other's own issues.

She had been the first to run to the Sheriff, to almost throw the USB stick at the Sheriff and barely screamed at him to get to Thorn Hill to arrest Clifford Blossom and to save Cheryl, to save her boyfriend from extreme danger. She had been the first person to jump into a car when she heard the report, that a young man had been fatally shot three times when attempting to save a young girl from a maddened murderer.

She knew, despite his own self-loathing, that Edward was a good person in his heart.

She had gotten out of the Mercedes, which had held Julian Lodge, Archie and Jughead and made a dash to the entrance to the hospital. It was a quiet day, which under any other circumstances Betty would have considered a good thing but that day turned it into a nightmare. She had no doubt that the four of them looked like a real state, and she had even tried to message Veronica in a flurry that made her own magnanimous spelling turn into a mess, and she had yet to even get a reply from her.

She had stopped speaking to them recently, it was mainly since Jughead's birthday since she was not invited that she felt rather thrown out of the group. That was nobody's fault, Jughead never truly appreciated large gatherings and he wanted a cinema double-viewing with herself and Archie. It was perfection, the best an event like that could have been, even if Edward could not have made it but it didn't matter.

It was an impeccable event between friends. It just riled Betty up even more that Veronica could not have even responded when it came to the health and safety of her own cousin, adopted or not.

She had gone to the receptionist's desk, alongside Julian and soon they were treading down the halls in order to find whatever room Edward was either going to be lying in awake, asleep or not in at all. She just wanted to see Edward, and obviously she would have given the father and son their private time for whatever discussions they were doomed to have. She would love to be a fly on the wall in that conversation, but she was too well-mannered to do that.

As soon as she turned to the Intensive Care private rooms, she had caught sight of the bright red hair waiting outside of the room, a loud clapping of boots echoing through the hall coming from both the group as well as the Blossom heiress as soon as they caught sight of each other. The three boys and the girl immediately checked the room, but immediately after Betty had taken Cheryl in her arms and given her the tightest hug she could have given.

"Cheryl, my god, are you okay? We tried to get you but we could never reach you, please tell me you're okay?" Betty rushed through her words, making sure her hands never left the red-headed girl. "Cheryl?"

"I… I can't even begin to speak about what's happened at home or what happened at all. I just… all I can say is that I owe Edward everything right now. Anything and everything." 

Betty could see the black-tinted tracks of water dribbling down the pale, rose-red cheeks of the rich girl. She was clearly traumatised and not a single doctor was in sight, probably because she was too stubborn to admit herself to help when somebody had basically gone and performed the ultimate sacrifice for her. No wonder she looked like she was in such a state, she looked as if she had refused any help that was given her.

"Where's Eddie? Where's my son?" Julian asked, to nobody as nobody decided to respond. The teens were silent, they didn't know the answer. He looked to the nearby nurses. "Where is my son? Where is he?!"

The two ladies quickly ran off in order to find the correct charts for the future resident of that specific room. The grieving father was clearly worried, angry at the fact that he did not know where his possibly-dying son was. It was completely understandable, and Archie and Jughead were completely silent. They were coping in their own way, knowing that to themselves they could possibly be losing on their best friends in the next few hours.

 **X-X-X**

 _Imagine this very instant, frozen forever in time._

 _People, men and women, will look at this moment as the exact point in time where the last bit of Riverdale's innocence had truly died._

 _When darkness and evil had finally won._

 _Marked by an act of violence, of sin and depravity, of perversion and malevolence, that marked the true end of the little town of Riverdale._

 **X-X-X**

 **I can't really describe how much this story has taken it out of me.**

 **I have tried to write a Riverdale fanfiction before, and I had to delete it mainly due to my own lack of happiness in it's quality and premise. This, I thought, had gotten past those issues and to this day I still think I believe that I have very much succeeded in getting past the roadblocks that made me delete the original story. I look at the original chapters in this story and I think 'yeah, I could do a little better but I am definitely happy with this' and I was happy with it. I never thought I would write a sequel (it's not my forte) but I had enough inspiration to finish this.**

 **The high point was around when I started watching the start of Season 3. A cult-like horror themed season that harkens back to the quality of Season 1, that was a good set-up for a good season.**

 **That didn't last long, and neither did my inspiration. This season, without a doubt, has been the worst season of Riverdale I have ever watched. It's caused me to leave the story, to consider getting rid of it but that is just how it is. I am happy this is finished. I can finally wipe my hands of this fucking shambles of a franchise that had such a good origins.**

 **Roberto Aguire-Sacasa can actually get in a bin, for how awful his creative decision-making has been when it's come to the show. Shame on him, for ruining such a promising adaptation.**

 **Credit goes to HPMarvel and Boris Yeltsin for constant reviews and upkeep on this story, reminding me that I needed to finish this for everyone who had favourited and followed the story. You kept me going.**

 **-Skrumpf-**


End file.
